Standing on an Olympic podium as thousands of people cheer must be one of the greatest moments, the culmination of years of preparation and discipline. Heroes come into the limelight, and inspire others to live heroically. There are lists of the greats, the heroes of the games.
God’s people have heroes too, Hebrews 11 has a roll call of the greats:
“Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. This is what the ancients were commended for…
By faith Abel brought God a better offering than Cain did. By faith he was commended as righteous, when God spoke well of his offerings. And by faith Abel still speaks, even though he is dead.
By faith Enoch was taken from this life, so that he did not experience death: “He could not be found, because God had taken him away.” For before he was taken, he was commended as one who pleased God. 6 And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.
By faith Noah, when warned about things not yet seen, in holy fear built an ark to save his family. By his faith he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness that is in keeping with faith.
By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going.”
Hebrews 11:1-8 [NIV]
The list is a long one, and makes clear that it is not just the headliners who matter.
In the race of life, God remembers how we lived. There is only one measure: Did we trust in God and live a life of faith?
Tim Norman
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