More on the book of Hebrews – Chapter 11

I ended my last post on Hebrews with the verse alluding to Being strangers and pilgrims on the earth. These people of faith sought a city whose builder and maker was God! They would not accept a substitute and spent their whole lives not finding what faith told them to seek.

These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.” Hebrews 11:13 KJV

Further on the writer of Hebrews tells us there are too many examples of faith to list. He lists Old Testament acts of faith. I see in this list the type of thing most Christians believe are what faith should produce. These are as follows:

“And what shall I more say? for the time would fail me to tell of Gedeon, and of Barak, and of Samson, and of Jephthae; of David also, and Samuel, and of the prophets: Who through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, Quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, waxed valiant in fight, turned to flight the armies of the aliens. Women received their dead raised to life again: and others were tortured, not accepting deliverance; that they might obtain a better resurrection And others had trial of cruel mockings and scourgings, yea, moreover of bonds and imprisonment: They were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword:

The list above are what most people commonly think of as results of faith. Dramatic stories, great victories and in some cases martyrdom. I wholeheartedly agree that these are clear results of faith in many cases today as well as in history. Part of this list though seems to be forgotten about. These results of faith listed below are rarely ever mentioned. No one I've ever met. has felt like these results would be because of their faith. In fact the general opinion, as well as my own brain believe these to be proof of a lack of faith. Being afflicted or destitute is something our minds tell us cannot be faith based.

 they wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins; being destitute, afflicted, tormented; (Of whom the world was not worthy:) they wandered in deserts, and in mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth.” Hebrews 11:32-38 KJV

As you know I have a chronic disease that constantly afflicts me. No one would ask for this as a result of their faith, of that I'm sure. I struggle with this mentality myself. My brain tells me I must be afflicted for some reason and that if I could figure out the reason I would get better. My heart tells me that God loves me and this is not a direct result of some terrible thing I've done and a punishment for it. It's just like the cartoons, TV shows and some commercials where the good guy sits on one shoulder and the bad on the other shoulder they both tell their opinion to the person. Many times it seems this is a very accurate portrayal of what I really go through.