What Faith Looks Like

CONSIDER THIS

Take a step back in time to the 1960s. Picture an ordinary guy running into an old fashioned telephone booth throwing off his tie, glasses and hat along the way — and emerging as a caped crusader with a big F on his chest. O, perhaps you were expecting it to be Superman. Nah, we switched it up a bit. The F stands for Faith. Could you ever consider yourself to be a “Hero of Faith”?

The Old Testament is filled with people who lived by faith, trusted God no matter what they faced — they were indeed considered heroes of the faith. In today’s passage, there are two contrasting lists of faith-filled people.

The first group of people were victorious over their circumstances. Think of someone like Daniel in the lion’s den. In the midst of facing certain death — I think I’d be shaking in my Bible-time boots — he chose to obey and trusted God. Even though all odds were against him, Daniel came out alive with a grandiose victory — and God was glorified.

The second group endured no matter what the circumstances. These people faced great suffering, imprisonment, torture and even death. You see, God sometimes removes us from the storm, and other times allows us to continue through the storm. The point is: both groups lived by faith and were commended by God for their faith.

How do we face the storms, opposition and persecution that is becoming more real? Stand in faith. Say it aloud: “We know the God we serve is able to rescue us. Even if He doesn’t, we will still trust and obey Him.”

Our faith is not in a certain outcome. Our faith is in Him, whatever the outcome.