Heroes of Faith: Learning from Our Spiritual Forefathers

By Dean Collins

Sometimes you need to look back to remember how your faith got you through tough times in order to have confidence that faith in God will get you through every difficult day for the rest of your life.

I have been continually employed somewhere since I was just shy of 15, which was the same year I entered high school. Looking back, I can identify some very difficult seasons in my life. One difficult season involved the year my parents separated and the year they divorced. During that time, I had little supervision or parental support both emotionally and financially. I had to learn quickly how to take responsibility for myself.

The season that followed included deciding whether to attend college, beginning college at the last minute, attending for one semester and then dropping out and starting all over again in another city. That season also was difficult financially as I tried to figure out and pay for a car that needed repair, a tooth that needed attention, had no health insurance, and got a new job in a different city.

As I look back and remember those years, I made decisions and exercised faith that God would provide even though I could not see when or how. Fortunately, I had a few godly men and women who prayed for me and encouraged me to take those steps of faith even though I could not see exactly what would happen and how God would show up in my circumstances. 

Taking a few minutes to think about it, I can identify dozens of times in my life when there were significant challenges, either with health, finances, family, or employment. As I look back, I can see that God met my needs time and time again. I now have testimony after testimony of God’s provision, healing, and support. Throughout these seasons, I can now see how God used me for his kingdom purposes in a variety of ways and with numerous people and organizations in ways I could have never anticipated or imagined. 

In Hebrews 11, the reader is encouraged to do what I just described in my opening paragraphs: look back to gain faith to face both current challenges and ones in the future. When Hebrews was written, there were some Christians who were struggling with their beliefs as they faced persecution from Rome. In order to encourage the believers, the author pulled out stories of the faith of past heroes so that the early church could have confidence to apply their faith in Jesus as they moving forward.

Hebrews 11:1 has one of two often repeated verses of scripture involving faith: “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” The other often quoted verse we know about faith from Hebrews 11 says this: “And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.” 

The rest of the chapter is a memory book of how God honored a person’s faith by providing deliverance in every tough situation. As you read this chapter, you see name after name of characters in God’s grand story. The writer doesn’t need to tell us the whole story because the stories are so familiar that we instantly remember how our spiritual forefathers and foremothers trusted God for the next day’s bread and for their miracle.

As you read these names try and recall their stories: Abel, Noah, Abraham, Jacob, Sarah, Isaac, Joseph, Moses, Gideon, Samson, Rahab, and others. In every case, the story we remember required putting faith into action. No one mentioned in this chapter could see what or how God would bring them through. What was ahead was unseen, just as it is for us when we exercise faith and move forward trusting God to provide and deliver.

This chapter ends with these words:

“And all these, though commended through their faith, did not receive what was promised, since God had provided something better for us, that apart from us they should not be made perfect.”

Each of these Bible heroes saw God provide, but they did not see how their story connected to God’s grand story that culminated in the gift of his son Jesus. But we have seen the fulfillment of God’s promised Messiah. As we put our faith in Jesus, we can be sure that he will bring us through our current challenges and one day know that we will stand with these Bible heroes and experience rest, joy, and peace forever!

Father, thank you for reminding us to look back and see what you have done over and over again for your children. As we pause and look back on our own lives, help us to see your provision for us and how you have guided us to this moment. Now, Lord, we step forward in faith that you will deliver us again. Use us and our story to encourage someone and even to bring another person to faith in Jesus. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Your Time with God’s Word
Hebrews 11:1-40 ESV

Photo by Ben White on Unsplash
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