Heroes of Faith
Today's Verse:
These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. ~Hebrews 11:13
A hero is someone we hold in high esteem because of something valiant that they did. A hero is someone who is uniquely uncommon. He believes the incredible, sees the invisible, and does the impossible. Our devotion this morning centers on the faith testimony of every believer who followed Abraham and Sarah. These were men and women who did not see the promises accomplished in their generation, but they remained steadfast and faithful.
We see the vision of a hero of faith.
A hero of faith is visionary. We see that the patriarchs saw the promises of God afar off. They had the faith to see into the future the promise of a Savior Who would die for the sins of the world and rise victoriously from the dead. They could see God working His sovereign plan in spite of the sinful failure of His people. We must have a vision for our faith. We must be able to see the souls that will be saved, baptized, and in the church years later. We must be able to see the servants of God who will serve Him as preachers and missionaries. We must be able to see churches established and thriving in areas where there are no churches. A hero of faith sees God’s big picture.
We see the virtue of a hero of faith.
A hero of faith lives his life in anticipation of Heaven. As a result, he strives for the eternal over the temporal. Notice how these heroes confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims. They did not entangle themselves with the affairs of this world. They did not get their roots deep in the things of the world. They walked by faith and not by sight. They separated themselves from influences that could make their faith cold. They separated themselves from doctrines that were unholy and unbiblical. They lived lives that were holy and spotless. They were men and women of virtue.
We see the vitality of a hero of faith.
What keeps a hero of faith from losing his enthusiasm? These heroes were persuaded by the promises! They embraced the promises. They believed it could be done and it would be done. They said, “God can, and God will!” They asked, “Is there anything too hard for the Lord?” They sang, "God can do anything but fail." They were energized by the belief that there was still more to be done. They were inspired by the faith of their forefathers and said, “If God could do it for them, God could do it for me as well!”
We see the victory of a hero of faith.
These heroes of faith died in faith. This is not a statement saying that they came up short. They achieved the greatest victory: they died in faith. They left this life with the assurance that nothing they did was in vain. They died in faith and were met by their Creator as they crossed the portals of Heaven. They looked for a city whose builder and maker is God. They entered their heavenly mansion. Everything the Scriptures told them about their eternal abode exceeded their imagination. Their hope was consummated. Like the hymn writer, they said, “I shall see Him!”
We see the heroes of faith. We see them as unique men, uncommon men, and unconquerable men. They leave us footsteps to fill and a path to walk upon. Let us run with patience the race that is set before us. Decide today to be part of the ranks of those who are heroes of faith.
Have a faith-filled God Morning!
Bible Reading Schedule: Numbers 11-13