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| Hebrews 11:36-38 – Faith in Suffering |
Others
suffered mocking and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment. They
were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were killed with the sword.
They went about in skins of sheep and goats, destitute, afflicted,
mistreated—of whom the world was not worthy—wandering about in deserts
and mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth. (Hebrews 11:36-38
ESV)
Hebrews
11—the great “hall of faith” chapter, as some have called it. I have
meditated on the faith of Noah, Abraham, Sarah, Joseph and Moses
numerous times in my life, but only recently have I stopped to ponder
the significance of these verses at the end of the chapter.
Verses
33-34 tell of all the amazing things God did through men of great
faith: conquering kingdoms, stopping the mouths of lions, quenching
fire, and escaping the sword. Then in stark contrast verses 35-38
describe men who endured great suffering.
It
is popular today in some religious circles to hear that if a Christian
has enough faith they will be happy, healthy, and wealthy. So were these
“others” who were so destitute they only had sheep skins to wear not
men of great faith like David and Gideon? It seems very clear that by
faith some men escaped the sword while others still keeping great faith
were killed by the sword.
(Philippians
1:29) says, “…for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in
him, but also suffer for his sake” and John 16:33 tells us we will have
trouble in this world. As a person who suffers from daily chronic pain,
passages like this bring great hope. God in his sovereignty, not we and
our amount of faith or good deeds, plans out the course of our life; and
for some it will involve great suffering. We are only commanded to
“fight the good fight of faith” (1 Timothy 6:12) as we see demonstrated
by these men “of whom the world was not worthy”. These men showed the
world by their faith in suffering that Jesus is worth everything, even
their lives.
Will
you walk by faith trusting God’s goodness, no matter what road He has
planned for you today? Read 2 Corinthians 10-12 to be challenged and
encouraged by the life of Paul who endured great suffering by faith.
Guest
devotion by Kari. Kari is a young wife and mother of a busy toddler.
After serving as a missionary to those suffering from AIDS in Uganda,
Africa she is learning personally that pain has a purpose. Learn how you
can become a guest writer.
