The eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him.
2 Chronicles 16:9
There isn’t one person in the Heroes of Faith in Hebrews 11 who was perfect. Some even made cringeworthy mistakes, and yet the Lord was faithful to list them. Why? Because their hearts were loyal to Him. He showed Himself strong on their behalf, and because of this, they were used in mighty ways.
From kings to prophets to great leaders, each was given a divine assignment.
God is merciful. We fail, yet He is faithful. Time and again, the Israelites were given opportunities to repent and return to Him. Nehemiah 13 serves as a stark reminder that even after major spiritual victories, vigilance is required to prevent followers from falling back into apathy and disobedience—having our hearts bent toward sin rather than Him.
Despite the thousands of years that separate us from some of these heroes, the challenges they faced then are the challenges we face today.
It takes more than great leadership to effect change—it requires a heart posture that is continually bent toward God. Nehemiah was a great leader with a passion for God and His law. But rules, vows, promises, and covenants are powerless to stop sin if our eyes are fixed on ourselves rather than the Rule Maker. Only the grace of God, alive and flowing in and through us, can give us the power to overcome our sin nature and to be used for His divine purposes.
Are you being used today? We can fill our time with good things—godly things. And yet, are they divinely appointed or self-appointed? Are we asking the Lord to lead us to do His will, or are we asking Him to bless ours?
As followers of Christ, God is in the continual process of transforming our hearts—hearts that are loyal to Him and His plan and purpose for us as individuals and as a church family.
