Courageous Heroes
The Bible is full of servants of God who are called "Heroes of the Faith." Many books have been written about the faithful saints found in Hebrews 11. This chapter of Hebrews has often been called the "Heroes Hall of Fame." While these individuals have varied characteristics, it could accurately be said that they all had an undying passion to love, honor, and worship God. We might even say that they were on a quest to glorify God. It is easy to give God glory and applause when things are going our way. It takes little courage to go along with the crowd and do what everyone else is doing. Situations change for better or worse, but God’s greatness never changes. Whether we are having a good day or a bad day, we must give God thanks for the life that He has given us.
A popular Bible story is found in Daniel 3. It records how God delivered three Hebrew young men from a fiery furnace. The account begins when the Babylonian king, Nebuchadnezzar, builds a giant monument to honor his god. The king had issued orders that all must bow and worship this massive idol. The penalty for disobeying was a swift execution. The death penalty for this particular disobedience would not be pleasant - those who disobeyed would be thrown into a blazing furnace. As the story unfolds, three Hebrew young men refuse to worship this false god. After Nebuchadnezzar goes through a series of threats, these valiant young men state that their God will rescue them from the fire. At this point of the story, most readers think to themselves, “Good for you, O servants of God.” What is often overlooked is this statement by the Hebrew young men: “But even if he does not [deliver us], let it be known to you, O King, that we are not going to serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up.” (NASB) What often goes unnoticed is the courage that these young men showed. They had no real evidence that God would save them from the fire. God had not told them what He was going to do in this situation. These three young men only knew that God must be worshipped. These courageous lads lived with the conviction that it was better to die being faithful than to live and be unfaithful.
Last week, I wrote about times of transition. Currently, we are transitioning from a summer vacation mindset to autumn activities. (By the way, life is full of transition times or seasons of change.) I ask you to consider this important question: As life rambles on, as you go through different seasons in your life, are you growing closer to God? I think everyone would agree that a follower of Jesus should be growing closer to God as time marches on. Just as growth is an essential quality in every healthy human life, Christian growth is an essential quality in every healthy Christian life. Too often, our worship of and dedication to God are tamed by the complications and struggles we face in this world. Let's commit ourselves to a lifestyle where our fire for God will not be quenched or washed away by even the mightiest rivers of opposition. Keep looking up!