40 Days of Faith
"Who through faith subdued kingdoms, worked righteousness,
obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions..."
Hebrews 11:33
When you read this list of accomplishments, you cannot help but be amazed by the power on display. It captures the mind of the warrior within us to think of those who subdued kingdoms. How incredible is that? Can you imagine always being known in history as the person who was powerful enough to conquer a kingdom?
The thought of stopping the mouth of a lion is quite incredible as well. Samson tore a lion apart with his bare hands. Most of us have trouble opening a bottle or jar with our hands. David as a young shepherd caught a lion by the mane and killed it before it was able to kill his sheep. Not only is it incredible to think of their strength but to imagine the fortitude to tackle such an animal. These men and women were most definitely heroes of the faith.
However, if we look closely, we will recognize who the true "hero" is in each one of these stories. Ask yourself these questions realistically: Who can subdue a kingdom all by themselves? Who can kill a fierce lion with his bare hands? There are other accomplishments listed in this passage. Some worked righteousness. Others obtained promises. If we examine the Scriptures, we find that there is none of us that are righteous. So how can people without any righteousness work righteously? Can a man fulfill a promise from someone else by himself? Each one of these accomplishments needed the supernatural hand of God. It was God working in and through these individuals that allowed them to accomplish all that they did.
Daniel would be a great example of all four of these accomplishments. He as a captive rose to the highest position in the kingdom and therefore subdued it. He lived so righteously before others that they knew that he served his God continually. He was given the ability to interpret dreams and the opportunity to see many of these promises fulfilled in his lifetime. He spent all night with a group of hungry lions who could not do him any harm. In every one of these instances, it was God doing the work through Daniel.
The Bible uses a word "imputed" which means "put toward our account". God amazingly works in our lives and allows us to enjoy the benefit of His blessing. He shows Himself strong on our behalf, and we have the privilege of being identified as accomplishing great things. Truly, whatever we accomplish in this life should bring us to say, "To God be the glory; great things He has done."
May you return the glory of your accomplishments to the One who has worked in you today!
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