“The world was not worthy of them. They wandered in deserts and mountains, in dens and caves of the earth. These all have obtained a good report through faith, but they did not receive the promise. For God provided something better for us, so that with us they would be made perfect” (Heb. 11:38-40).
The “hall of faith” in Hebrews 11 is full of people who are renowned for their courage, perseverance and commitment to the way of God. These are heroes you have heard of—Noah, Abraham, Jacob, Moses and more.
But the hall of faith is not just about these famous names. The last several verses list a variety of different persons who are not known by history, indeed they are not even known by name. They are people who have been persecuted but held firm to their faith. These are people who struggled but remained courageous.
These are commended for their faith, though their circumstances don’t work out the way they would have liked. Their reward is something better than anything that can be revealed in this life.
Whether you are a hero recognized the world over or someone who does not receive the promises of blessing in this life, the true and ultimate reward is the kingdom of heaven—something we experience in joy together, beyond the parameters of this imperfect life and imperfect world.
We too often try to get into some Christianized version of the hall of fame by performing, being impressive in the eyes of the world or accumulating wealth and power. The kingdom of heaven does not have a place of recognition with this kind of entry requirements. In fact, it is wholly unimpressed. But perhaps you are already named in the hall of faith. By trusting God, remaining faithful through difficulty and bearing witness to truth in God’s world, you join a host of others (named and unnamed throughout history) renowned and celebrated in heaven precisely because they exercised their greatest power and most significant opportunity on this earth: a life of faith.
Faith is about trusting the one who transcends circumstances. Our reward is not temporal material prosperity but the true riches of eternity in the kingdom of God. {eoa}
The Yellow Balloons team is committed to influencing individuals and organizations toward choosing a true perspective. Throughout all the diverse circumstances of life, we have the power to make choices and live life above our circumstances. Yellow Balloons provides free resources such as books, podcasts and devotionals which can be found at yellowballoons.net. Listen to The Yellow Balloons Podcast on Charisma Podcast Network today.
