The Bible says: ‘The fundamental fact of existence is that this trust in God, this faith, is the firm foundation under everything that makes life worth living. It’s our handle on what we can’t see. The act of faith is what distinguished our ancestors, set them above the crowd’ (vv.1-2 MSG). The heroes of faith listed in Hebrews 11 were far from perfect. Noah believed God, built the ark, and saved his family. But when he came out of the ark he got drunk. Abraham was known as a ‘friend of God,’ yet he lied to save himself and ended up compromising his wife’s safety. When God told Sarah she’d give birth to a child at ninety years old, she laughed and didn’t believe Him. Joseph was a slave with a prison record who ended up second in command when it came to ruling Egypt. Rahab was a prostitute, yet God listed her as a woman of great faith. Jacob pretended to be his brother in order to get his father’s blessing. Then there’s King David, whose affair led to murder and national scandal. Every one of these people was as human as we are. They faltered and went through times of failure. They made mistakes and went down paths in their lives that led them away from God’s plan and purpose. Their only claim to fame is that they believed God and He honoured their faith. And He’ll honour our faith each time we put our trust in Him. We all make mistakes and we all fail. But when we trust God through it all and keep our faith strong, we’re set above the crowd too.

What Now?

Choose three of the people listed in Hebrews 11 and spend time reading their stories in the Bible.