In the word of God there are many stories of heroes. We can read of Abraham and Jacob, of David and of Paul and others.
It can be very revealing and encouraging for us to see them as they really were, what they did, how they reacted and also how God viewed them.
These were men with tremendous strengths and at times marked weaknesses. They did mighty things with the help of God. Conversely, they also sometimes failed to be the shining examples of God’s way. (Witness David and his interaction with Goliath on the one hand and with Uriah on the other – both ended with a death, one glorious and one… well, not.)
How are we to understand this? How can it be that the “big names” of the Bible were not always perfect? In Ecclesiastes we read: “For there is not a just man on earth who does good and does not sin” (Ecclesiastes 7:20). No one is always a hero.
We all have weaknesses in our lives. And when God calls us to repentance, we begin to see these areas and can begin to change them.
It is all part of God’s plan for us, and part of what He is teaching us.
Paul suffered a great deal with some malady or grave physical difficulty. He prayed often about it. “Concerning this thing I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me. And he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me” (2 Corinthians 12:8-9).
Many people never really see themselves as they are.
Now and then, God, in His grace and love for us, allows us to see how very little substance there is to us. How little there is behind the façade.
It is part of God’s teaching us. He shows us that we are not the ones who can take care of ourselves. He has to be there to help us.
The Apostle Paul again: “Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distress for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then am I strong” (2 Corinthians 12:10).
This is the hope that we too can have.
It is a wonderful thing when we begin to see that we are not as strong as we thought we were — that we need God’s help.
David implored God, in Psalm 139:23 to show him who he really was. “…know my heart, try me…”.
All of the mighty ones of God had to come to the point where they desired for God to help them see themselves as they truly were.
If we belong to God, we will always have His help. We must call upon Him to show us where we fail and where we need to grow. For we too can be godly heroes. When we learn to rely on God to guide us in our lives, He intervenes and makes the impossible possible. We are normal people who can be infused with the supernatural power of God’s Holy Spirit – godly heroes!
Cliff Veal
