What inspiring stories there are in the Bible of men and women who trusted God so completely that they were prepared to give up everything: their homes, their families, their comforts and even their future prospects. Some of my favourite Old Testament stories of faith being demonstrated in action are those of Joseph, Ruth and Mordecai/Esther. When I read these ancient stories, I am awed by the considerable sacrifices these men and women made. In the face of great hardships and difficulties, these characters from the Scriptures persevered, trusted God and were greatly blessed by Him.
Considering how painful Joseph’s life was as a young man – scorned by his brothers and sold into slavery by them, wrongfully accused of abusing his slave-master, Potiphar’s wife, flung into prison for a crime he didn’t commit, left there to languish in prison – it is inspiring to learn that God was with Joseph in everything he did, that God blessed him every step of the way, and that God finally honours him by making him second only to Pharaoh in the land. What a journey from trial to triumph. And what a testimony to Joseph’s trust in God, that not once in the narrative do we read about Joseph’s complaining. Even when he is confronted by his brothers who were instrumental in all his suffering, he completely forgives them as he highlights the bigger picture at work in all of their lives, telling them: But God sent me ahead of you to preserve for you a remnant on earth and to save your lives by a great deliverance. Genesis 45, v.7 God had not only blessed Joseph by making him second-in-command to Pharaoh, but He had saved whole countries and communities from famine through Joseph’s wise leadership. What an inspiring story of faith in action, a story which completely turned around Joseph’s life of suffering and separation to a life of triumph and reunion with his whole family, including his father, Israel, who is brought down to Egypt to live with Joseph in the land of Goshen.
Another biblical character who inspires me is Ruth, the Moabitess. The fact that after her husband dies in her land, she offers to go back to Bethlehem with Naomi, her mother-in-law, leaving her own family, her land and her gods, is remarkable. Because of her love for Naomi, she insists: “Where you go I will go, and where you stay, I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God.” Ruth 1, v. 15 What courage. What loyalty. What faith. Hard-working, humble and obedient, her gleaning in Boaz, the kinsman-redeemer’s field, does, of course, result in triumph. What a wonderful story of faith in action, and what an extraordinary outcome, as, through marriage to Boaz, she becomes one of the women in the Messiah’s line. An ancestor to the earthly Jesus. God can indeed turn a rather tragic trial into a tremendous victory.
The third person I would like to mention in this blog is the beautiful Queen Esther. She wouldn’t, of course, have become Queen to King Xerxes of Persia had it not been for her uncle Mordecai. But what courage it must have taken for Esther to go and stand in view of the King – unless you had been specifically summoned, it could mean your death warrant – and plead for the life of your nation. Haman, insulted by Mordecai not bowing down to him, had asked for an edict from the King to destroy all Jews. Once again, God is working out a plan for the saving of His nation, but that was only possible through the obedience and courage of Esther. As Mordecai states, He of course could have raised up someone else to carry out this task, but it is Esther, because of her obedience, He uses to carry out the deliverance of the Jews. What a story of faith in action leading to triumph.
It’s indeed motivating to see how God uses the humblest of people to fulfil His purposes on earth. He just needs faithful people to be His instruments so that He can work out His good and perfect plans in this world. With these inspiring biblical stories in mind, it is worth reflecting on what we can do to further His purposes on this earth.