Heroes

"At my first defense no one came to stand by me, but all deserted me. May it not be charged against them! But the Lord stood by me and strengthened me, so that through me the message might be fully proclaimed and all the Gentiles might hear it. So I was rescued from the lion's mouth. The Lord will rescue me from every evil deed and bring me safely into his heavenly kingdom. To him be the glory forever and ever. Amen." 2 Timothy 4:16-18

Paul briefly shares a time when everyone abandoned him. Everyone except God. God stood by him and strengthened him. He rescued Paul.

This isn't a new concept. You see this all throughout scripture. Daniel was not devoured by the lions when he took a stand for God. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were not burnt to a crisp because Jesus came and stood in their midst, protecting them from the fiery furnace. Jesus walked by angry mobs without being stoned to death. David went against a lion, a bear, and then the ferocious Goliath without being ripped apart, limb by limb. It stands to reason that God will not let His people flounder when they stand for Him. He is going to take their hand and strengthen them for anything and everything.

Why do we see this so many times in the Bible? Why do we need to be reminded of it so often? It's so easy to read these testimonies and think, "That's a hero of faith, I want to be like him or her one day."
A hero of faith is made by standing for God and knowing no matter what the outcome, He's got your back. A hero of faith is made by trusting God's promises. A hero of faith is made by believing He will make the way for you to fulfill your calling. A hero of faith is made by standing and letting God handle the rest.

God does all the work. He is the true Hero, and His heroes of faith are made by us being His willing servants.

P.S. Even the little girl who eats lunch all alone, because she told her friends she believes in and loves Jesus, is a hero of faith.