True Biblical Stories of Old and New Testament Heroes of Faith
Heroic Men and Women of Unwavering Faith
By Dr. Lindy S. Diffenbaugh, D.D.
When we first hear of the lives of most “sooner or later, going to be Heroes of Faith,” at the beginning of any story, they do not seem to carry the image of a “bonified true to life mighty fearless warrior.” In fact, they simply do not present as the guy/gal that will eventually “take down the villein,” and save the world!
On that note, we know that at the beginning of the story, such Heroes are the kind that present as insecure, broken, ill equipped and full of self-doubt. They never seem to have what it takes to get things done; in fact, they often put it in exactly those terms. As they are working to walk away from whatever the rough patch may be, they can be heard mumbling, “You got the wrong guy; I simply don’t have what it takes to overpower the giant, or to run the bad guys out of town!”
The only difference between a villain and a hero is their reaction to the pain. The hero would say, “I am going to stop anybody else from ever experiencing that kind of pain, rejection, failure, etc.” or “I am going to turn the world right side up once again!!” And of course, the Villian has utter destruction and death of the righteous on his mind.
The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, call us to a story that will truly transforms us from the image of a “Zero”, to that of a Hero. The Bible is full of heroes and villains, as well as villains that become Heroes! In fact, as average and ordinary Saints of God, we all must strive to be like these mighty and powerful Biblical Heroes of Faith!”
The Apostle Paul was a Villan and A Hero
Consider the Apostle Paul’s transformation from a “Persecutor of God’s People,” to one of the most powerful leaders in the Early Church.”
It was the Apostle Paul’s testimony that, “I am routinely in prison and bitten by snakes, but I glory in suffering, because suffering produces perseverance, and perseverance character, and character hope.” Romans 5:4
Jesus does not call us to a life of ease and comfort, but to certain battles with the “So Called Church” in these days, that often bring on-going pain, suffering, and grief upon themselves and so many others!
There may be, in fact, certainly are heroes of faith that live in this day, but I believe that just as in Biblical days, these are the exception rather than the rule! In fact, there is a huge gap between persecution and grasping the honor to live a life of persecution with grace, goodness and faith! In fact, few there be that find such faith and nobility in their lives!
Stories Designed to Transform Average and Ordinary People!
In the New Testament, James, one of the Disciples of Christ, encourages us to, “Consider it all joy when we face trials and tribulations.” Joy happens when the challenge has been overcome, however, from the perspective of the writing of the Apostle James, “we should count it all joy when we have been persecuted?” Why on earth, you may ask, would joy flow out of persecution?
The Answer would surely be “Because You Have Been Counted Worthy to Receive Persecution from the Wicked Forces of Death, Hell, and Darkness, and it is your honor to carry out God’s Missions on this Earth!”
As we look at these Heroes of Faith, I encourage you to ask yourself, “Could I carry the confidence and strength that they had to carry?” And by the way, none of the people that God counted as worthy were perfect. As some would say, “they had feet of clay up to their armpits.“
But despite their mistakes and their shortcomings, these men and women, stood out as those who carried the zeal and passion of God. In fact, these considered God’s Kingdom purpose before they even gave thought to their own peace, safety, and comfort.
When you look at Israel from the perspective of Judges 6, they have been moving through a cycle of obedience, disobedience, and trouble, God delivers them, and before you know it, the cycle starts all over again.
What is going on with Gideon when we first see him in Judges, chapter 6? In fact, Gideon knows that the Midianites are after Israel, yet he is hiding out working in a wine press, beating out the wheat for his father.
As he continues to work, out of nowhere, an angel appears before Gideon and proclaims, Hail Mighty Man of Valor…The Lord is With You.”
As you may assume, Gideon most likely does not identify with that “Mighty Man of Valor” thing, after all, Gideon sees himself as the least in his father’s house. Nevertheless, the Angel tells him that “God Is with You.”
Because They Prayed, God Released a Rescue Mission
What Gideon does not seem to understand is that the angel had arrived before him in response to the prayers of the Jews, as they were facing ongoing invasions of the Midianites. In fact, the Angel tells Gideon to go out, take down the Midianites, and in doing so he will save his country.
Despite the fact that Gideon is standing before a Heavenly Creature, or maybe because of the fact that he is standing before an Angel, he starts asking questions. “Pardon me, my lord,” Gideon replied, “but if the Lord is with us, why has all this happened to us? He is nowhere and he has given us over to the hand of the Midianites.”
I suppose that Gideon was thinking that “since I have an angle here, I might as well get this off of my chest!” Gideon’s interrogation did not move the Angel to back off of the mission that he was to release to Gideon.
Then the Angel said to Gideon, “Go in your strength and save Israel from the hand of Midian. Am I not sending you?”
You know as I do, there is a lot more meat to that story. But the point is one-man obeyed God, and in so doing he saved Israel from what most likely would have been certain death and annihilation.
This writing was part-2 of The Heroes of Faith that We Read of in the Bible! Once again, I Encourage You to Read the Entre Biblical Accounts of those Heroes of Faith that I Spoke of Today!
After You Have Read their Stories, Ask Yourself? “Could I Possibly Give My Life to Become a True Modern Day Hero Like Those in The Stories of Old and New Testament Heroes of Faith?”
