Articles
The People Of The Bible
For several months we have been publishing brief sketches of Bible characters. Exposure to people in noteworthy experiences can cause us to think of them as super-human. We do this with athletes, movie stars and politicians, and we even see the process unfold on shows like "American Idol." People who are “nobodies” grow an aura right before our eyes.
We can attach a similar “celebrity status” to heroes of long ago -- Moses, David, Daniel, Peter, Paul, etc. Stirring accounts of sacrifice, courage and achievement; of fighting battles, confronting wrongdoing and overcoming personal weakness can make these characters seem uniquely endowed, exceptional or even legendary.
But they were people just like us. Before David became king, he was the youngest of eight brothers and tended the sheep. Peter was a fisherman. Moses was raised in privilege, but that was actually an impediment to his faith and had to be overcome in order for him to be useful to God.
If we can imagine them toiling in obscurity, just living a normal life one day at a time, and then facing the challenges and opportunities that came along, then what we see is our own lives. For the truth is that most men and women of faith who have ever lived have done so in relative anonymity. Their names aren’t recorded in the annals of history; they didn’t stand before kings; they didn’t see their role in the bigger picture of God’s providence. They just faced the choice between right and wrong, growth and stagnation, sacrifice and comfort, and did what was right.
“No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man” (I Cor. 10:13); “each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed” (James 1:14). Moses, David, Daniel … Karen, Bill, Sam, Debbie – every person in every age must overcome weaknesses and temptations to live faithfully each day and, in so doing, be prepared for great moments of challenge and/or hardship when they come.
The wise man builds his house on the rock in preparation for the storms. The woman who withstands the crisis is the one who has been preparing for it by making the right choices each day.
