Whenever we invest our time and money into something or someone, the hope is to make a profit; the hope is that our investment will lead us to something better. The interesting thing about humans is that we’re never satisfied, we always want better. The good news is that our Heavenly Father programmed us that way and he always wants to lead us forward to something better.

For indeed the Gospel was preached to us as well as to them; but the word which they heard did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in those who heard it. 

– Hebrews 4:2 NIV

The people of Israel were enslaved in Egypt for some 400 years and for centuries they were hoping for something better. So they cried out to God, and God listened to their clamor. He promised them freedom and a prosperous land of their own. Then with a powerful hand, he liberated them from slavery and led them through the Red Sea into the desert for a forty-day journey to the Promised Land. With stage one completed, they entered into stage two as God began leading them through the desert to the Promised Land. 

If the miracles that led the people of Israel to freedom were impressive, the miracles that God performed while leading them through the desert were beyond belief. They had an air-conditioned desert that kept them warm in the evening and cool during the daytime. And forget about Uber Eats, God delivered them food via airmail every day and supplied them with rock- filtered water in the desert. But in spite of the many miracles, they spent 40 years wandering in the desert never entering the Promised Land. 

The author of the book of Hebrews tells us that the good news that was promised to them was of no profit due to their lack of faith. In the context of this verse, the lack of faith did not mean that they did not believe God, how could they not? They had witnessed the miracles. The word faith in this context is not speaking about believing God but instead means being faithful to him. 

In our present generation, the Gospel has also been preached to us. But this time it wasn’t through any man but rather through Jesus the Son of God and the miracle was not the parting of the Red Sea but the parting of Jesus’ body for us followed by his resurrection from the dead. For many of us today, stage one has been completed, and we’re walking through the desert to the promise that Jesus made to us. He’s promised that he’s preparing a place for us to be with him. But, unless we remain faithful to God we’re in danger of not gaining any profit from that promise. 

God has prepared something better for you, but the question is, are you preparing for something better?