“who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, obtained promises, shut the mouths of lions, quenched raging fire, escaped the edge of the sword, won strength out of weakness, became mighty in war, put foreign armies to flight.”
Hebrews 11:33-34
In these verses, 3 key words stand out for me: faith, weakness and strength. In the previous verse the writer recalls five of many heroic people of the Old Testament. Verses 33-34 tell of the incredible odds they faced for the sake of God. Though they suffered great hardship, tragedy and torture, they were able to accomplish great things through their unwavering faith in God.
In my family, I recall stories of joy and celebration. I also remember those of hardship, sickness, tragic loss, divorce and times when it seemed hard to put one foot in front of the other.
The common thread that runs through our family is faith in Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. It is this gift of faith and the constant presence of the Holy Spirit that reminds us we are not facing these hardships alone. In our weakness, God’s promise of being with us, strengthening and sustaining us is ever present.
“All I have needed Thy hand hath provided
Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me.”1
Prayer: Holy God, as we wait for the coming of the Christ Child, help us to remember those faithful and heroic men and women of the Bible. Inspire us to be bold in our faith as they were, finding new ways to put our faith into action, knowing you are always with us. Amen
Ruth Boetsch
1Great is Thy Faithfulness by Thomas Chisholm, Music by William Runyan