Memory
Verse Hebrews 11:40(KJV)
“God
having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be
made perfect”.
This passage is a conclusion of what we have been
studying since we began Hebrew 11; it tells us about the many examples of
heroes of faith who won favour from God because of their faith in him under
impossible circumstances. Faith in Christ is what gives Christians the
assurance of a better life. Let us therefore learn from these heroes of faith
as we journey through this foreign land.
There are other many men of faith the author of
Hebrews would have loved to talk about but he was restricted by time. Let us on
our own search the scriptures and identify other people who acted in faith and
let us add it to our list of examples of faith to emulate. As we do so I pray
that our names will also be added to the list of men and women who exercised
their faith during their lifetime on earth.
If we look closely at the men mentioned in today’s
passage, we will notice that they were all rulers. They were involved in a war
for God and they all won it by faith.
It starts with Gideon. He was a judge and a fearful
leader (Judges 6). Faith like Gideon tells us that God doesn’t work with
number. God can use even the least person to do his work. The greatest work of
God is being done by individuals and little groups of people.
Like Gideon, Barak too was a judge and a fearful
leader (Judges 4&5). He had prophetess Deborah behind him. God gave a
command through Deborah that Barak should go with 10,000men to meet Sisera and
God also promised victory but Barak was scared and would go to battle only if
Deborah went with him. Deborah promised to go with him but assured him that the
honour of killing Sisera would not be his but that a woman’s. Faith like
Barak’s tells us that God can use the weakest people to accomplish his purpose.
Our weaknesses cannot limit God; He can use our weakness to achieve his
purposes and his name is glorified even in our weaknesses.
Samson was a Judge and a Nazarite (Judges13-16), he
was supposed to liberate the Israelites from the Philistines who were
oppressing them at that time but Samson used his power mostly for personal
revenge. Although Samson went out of God’s will yet God used him to bring
victories for his people. It can be noted that Samson killed more philistines
in death than in his whole lifetime. Faith like Samson can make God fix even
the very undeserving person to do great things for them and by them also
overcome the roaring lion that is going about looking for who to devour.
Faith like Jephthah (Judges 11&12) will make us
bold and courageous to face our enemies.
Faith like David will enable us overcome every Goliath in our lives (1 Samuel
17) and leave testimonies as to the trials and acts of faith, in the book of
Psalms, which has been, and ever will be, of great value to the people of
God.
Faith like Samuel enables us to serve God and his
people in whatever way God demands of us.
Verses 36-38 gives us a description of the death of
Jesus’ disciples Some of them were flogged, stoned and put in prison, Philip, Andrew, and Simon were crucified
James, the brother of John and Thomas were killed by the sword. John-the
beloved was put in boiling oil at the Coliseum but he escaped and was exiled to
the Island of Patmos.
One thing was common with all these heroes of faith.
None of them received the promise but they believed and held on to their faith
even unto death. Sometimes, we may not see the promises, it may be difficult to
see it especially in times of trials and persecutions but we like the men of
old should hold on to our faith for surely we will receive our reward in the
end( Mathew 24:13)
As Christians we will suffer for Christ but it is
our faith that will keep us going. In fact our faith does not guarantee a
suffering-free life. Even Christ said it that in this world, we will have
tribulations and trials but we should rejoice because he has overcome for us
(John 6:33). Faith makes us cheerful even in persecution and gives us the
assurance that Jesus has won the battle for us.
Each day brings difficulties that are impossible to
handle but it is faith in God that will make us surmount them all. Faith looks
beyond today, if it’s only in this life we believe then we are to be pitied (1
Cor 15:19)
Let us then
pray continually for the increase of our faith, as we follow these examples of
faith and let us also look at our author faith Jesus and stand firm in him to
the end. Amen
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