Hebrews 11 | What's the lesson for me today?
Not For the Faint of Heart
I can testify from my own lived experience that Christianity is not for the faint of heart. There are trials and tribulations waiting at every corner. There is persecution of immense capacities spread across the world. Following Jesus may cost you your job, your friends, your family, and many of the things you love. We are called to offer ourselves as living sacrifices. We are called to take up our cross and follow after Jesus. We are called to be good soldiers of Jesus Christ. I have already said it and I will say it again, this is not for the faint of heart.
Others were tortured, not accepting deliverance, that they might obtain a better resurrection. 36 Still others had trial of mockings and scourgings, yes, and of chains and imprisonment. 37 They were stoned, they were sawn in two, were tempted, were slain with the sword. They wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, tormented—38 of whom the world was not worthy. They wandered in deserts and mountains, in dens and caves of the earth.
-Hebrews 11:35b-38
This is an often overlooked part of Hebrews 11. As we stand in awe of those who have gone before us, I find this to be a particularly important passage. It is one that has spurred me on again and again. We can often fall for the trap that life is supposed to be easier or better as a believer. We may state our disagreement and claim that we do not expect things to be easy, but as soon as the trials stack up, we become discouraged, anxious and fearful. If that is not you, then praise the Lord. I pray you hold fast. But I can speak at least for my own self and share that I have fallen for this very trap. Intellectually I understand that things won't be easy. But anytime things started to press against me, I would worry about what kind of door I opened and what I did wrong to result in such punishment. It allowed these thoughts to linger far longer than they should have.
It would be weeks or months of me pouring myself out before the Lord. I would taste and see of His goodness. I would rest in His grace. Day and night would be spent communing with Him or in the fellowship of His saints. Like clockwork, as trials and tribulations or persecutions would come my way, I would start to worry about what wrong I had done. Then I would be discouraged and fear that I was being cast off from the Lord. O how deceptive the enemy of our souls can be! Whether one has his house built on the sand or built upon the rock, the storm comes for both of them.
As I look at the afflictions of those who held such high faith, I am encouraged to know that it was not a failure on their part that incurred such difficulty. Rather, as a result of their faith, they endured deep wounds. Any time I come across Hebrews 11, I am reminded to stand strong, just as those before me did. This is not for the faint of heart. It is for those full of faith.
What lesson are you taking away?
Others were tortured, not accepting deliverance, that they might obtain a better resurrection. 36 Still others had trial of mockings and scourgings, yes, and of chains and imprisonment. 37 They were stoned, they were sawn in two, were tempted, were slain with the sword. They wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, tormented—38 of whom the world was not worthy. They wandered in deserts and mountains, in dens and caves of the earth.
-Hebrews 11:35b-38
This is an often overlooked part of Hebrews 11. As we stand in awe of those who have gone before us, I find this to be a particularly important passage. It is one that has spurred me on again and again. We can often fall for the trap that life is supposed to be easier or better as a believer. We may state our disagreement and claim that we do not expect things to be easy, but as soon as the trials stack up, we become discouraged, anxious and fearful. If that is not you, then praise the Lord. I pray you hold fast. But I can speak at least for my own self and share that I have fallen for this very trap. Intellectually I understand that things won't be easy. But anytime things started to press against me, I would worry about what kind of door I opened and what I did wrong to result in such punishment. It allowed these thoughts to linger far longer than they should have.
It would be weeks or months of me pouring myself out before the Lord. I would taste and see of His goodness. I would rest in His grace. Day and night would be spent communing with Him or in the fellowship of His saints. Like clockwork, as trials and tribulations or persecutions would come my way, I would start to worry about what wrong I had done. Then I would be discouraged and fear that I was being cast off from the Lord. O how deceptive the enemy of our souls can be! Whether one has his house built on the sand or built upon the rock, the storm comes for both of them.
As I look at the afflictions of those who held such high faith, I am encouraged to know that it was not a failure on their part that incurred such difficulty. Rather, as a result of their faith, they endured deep wounds. Any time I come across Hebrews 11, I am reminded to stand strong, just as those before me did. This is not for the faint of heart. It is for those full of faith.
What lesson are you taking away?
Posted in Hebrews
Recent
Hebrews 11 | What's the lesson for me today?
August 13th, 2026
Hebrews 11 | What's a lesson for the original audience?
August 12th, 2026
Hebrews 11 | What's the connection?
August 11th, 2026
Hebrews 11 | What's happening (and who's involved)?
August 10th, 2026
Passage of the Week: Hebrews 11
August 9th, 2026
Archive
2026
January
John 14:22-31 | What's the lesson for me today?John 14:22-31 | What am I going to do about it?John 14:22-31 | Prayer PromptsPassage of the Week: John 15:1-11John 15:1-11 | What's happening (and who's involved)?John 15:1-11 | What's the connection?John 15:1-11 | What's a lesson for the original audience?John 15:1-11 | What's the lesson for me today?John 15:1-11 | What am I going to do about it?John 15:1-11 | Prayer PromptsPassage of the Week: John 15:12-27John 15:12-27 | What's happening (and who's involved)?John 15:12-27 | What's the connection?John 15:12-27 | What's a lesson for the original audience?John 15:12-27 | What's the lesson for me today?John 15:12-27 | What am I going to do about it?John 15:12-27 | Prayer PromptsPassage of the Week: John 16:1-15John 16:1-15 | What's happening (and who's involved)?John 16:1-15 | What's the connection?John 16:1-15 | What’s a lesson for the original audience?John 16:1-15 | What's the lesson for me today?John 16:1-15 | What am I going to do about it?John 16:1-15 | Prayer PromptsPassage of the Week: John 16:16-33John 16:16-33 | What's happening (and who's involved)?John 16:16-33 | What's the connection?John 16:16-33 | What's a lesson for the original audience?John 16:16-33 | What's the lesson for me today?John 16:16-33 | What am I going to do about it?John 16:16-33 | Prayer Prompts
February
Passage of the Week: John 17John 17 | What's happening (and who's involved)?John 17 | What's the connection?John 17 | What's a lesson for the original audience?John 17 | What's the lesson for me today?John 17 | What am I going to do about it?John 17 | Prayer PromptsPassage of the Week: John 18:1-11John 18:1-11 | What's happening (and who's involved)?John 18:1-11 | What's the connection?John 18:1-11 | What's a lesson for the original audience?John 18:1-11 | What's the lesson for me today?John 18:1-11 | What am I going to do about it?John 18:1-11 | Prayer PromptsPassage of the Week: John 18:12-40John 18:12-40 | What's happening (and who's involved)?John 18:12-40 | What's the connection?John 18:12-40 | What's a lesson for the original audience?John 18:12-40 | What's the lesson for me today?John 18:12-40 | What am I going to do about it?John 18:12-40 | Prayer PromptsPassage of the Week: John 19John 19 | What's happening (and who's involved)?John 19 | What's the connection?John 19 | What's a lesson for the original audience?John 19 | What's the lesson for me today?John 19 | What am I going to do about it?John 19 | Prayer Prompts
March
Passage of the Week: John 20John 20 | What's happening (and who's involved)?John 20 | What's the connection?John 20 | What's a lesson for the original audience?John 20 | What's the lesson for me today?John 20 | What am I going to do about it?John 20 | Prayer PromptsJohn 21 | Prayer PromptsPassage of the Week: John 21John 21 | What's happening (and who's involved)?John 21 | What's the connection?John 21 | What's a lesson for the original audience?John 21 | What's the lesson for me today?John 21 | What am I going to do about it?Passage of the Week: Hebrews 1:1-4Hebrews 1:1-4 | What's happening (and who's involved)?Hebrews 1:1-4 | What's the connection?Hebrews 1:1-4 | What is a lesson for the original audience?Hebrews 1:1-4 | What's the lesson for me today?Hebrews 1:1-4 | What am I going to do about it?Hebrews 1:1-4 | Prayer PromptsPassage of the Week: Hebrews 1:5-14Hebrews 1:5-14 | What's happening (and who's involved)?Hebrews 1:5-14 | What's the connection?Hebrews 1:5-14 | What's a lesson for the original audience?Hebrews 1:5-14 | What's the lesson for me today?Hebrews 1:5-14 | What am I going to do about it?Hebrews 1:5-14 | Prayer PromptsPassage of the Week: Hebrews 2:1-4Hebrews 2:1-4 | What's happening (and who's involved)?Hebrews 2:1-4 | What's the connection?
April
Hebrews 2:1-4 | What's a lesson for the original audience?Hebrews 2:1-4 | What's the lesson for me today?Hebrews 2:1-4 | What am I going to do about it?Hebrews 2:1-4 | Prayer PromptsPassage of the Week: Hebrews 2:5-9Hebrews 2:5-9 | What's happening (and who's involved)?Hebrews 2:5-9 | What's the connection?Hebrews 2:5-9 | What's a lesson for the original audience?Hebrews 2:5-9 | What's the lesson for me today?Hebrews 2:5-9 | What am I going to do about it?
No Comments