And Others

Hebrews 11:36-40 “And others had trial of cruel mockings and scourgings, yea, moreover of bonds and imprisonment: They were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword: they wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins; being destitute, afflicted, tormented; (Of whom the world was not worthy:) they wandered in deserts, and in mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth. And these all, having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise: God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect.”

This is such an amazing passage of Scripture. We have all heard sermons about bad things that will happen to us, if we run away from God and disobey Him. We are all familiar with the Old Testament true story of Jonah, who ran from God. The Lord prepared a great fish (a whale according to Matthew 12:40), who swallowed Jonah. When Jonah repented and offered up a voice of thanksgiving to God in his dire circumstances, the whale dropped off Jonah on dry ground at the next whale stop! 

Hebrews chapter 11 is often referred to as: “The Hall Of Faith.” In Hebrews 11 we read about dozens of Old Testament saints who, through whom God accomplished great things “BY FAITH.” But then we get to Hebrews 11:36 and read the words: “AND OTHERS.” Not everyone does great things by faith. In fact, some believers suffer “BY FAITH.” The Bible says some believers were sawn asunder, slain by the Sword, tortured, wandered homeless, and hid in caves “BY FAITH.” 

Literally, you might be crippled in a wheelchair “BY FAITH.” It doesn't mean you've done something sinful because you are suffering, disabled, afflicted or surviving in poverty and homelessness. Sometimes a person's sins DO cause their physical disability...

John 5:5-8 and 14, “And a certain man was there, which had an infirmity thirty and eight years. When Jesus saw him lie, and knew that he had been now a long time in that case, he saith unto him, Wilt thou be made whole? The impotent man answered him, Sir, I have no man, when the water is troubled, to put me into the pool: but while I am coming, another steppeth down before me. Jesus saith unto him, Rise, take up thy bed, and walk. And immediately the man was made whole, and took up his bed, and walked: ...Afterward Jesus findeth him in the temple, and said unto him, Behold, thou art made whole: sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee.”

But most of the time a person's physical disability wasn't caused by their sins... 

John 9:1-3, “And as Jesus passed by, he saw a man which was blind from his birth. And his disciples asked him, saying, Master, who did sin, this man, or his parents, that he was born blind? Jesus answered, Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents: but that the works of God should be made manifest in him.”

The Holy Bible teaches that God often creates disabled people. Exodus 4:11, “And the LORD said unto him, Who hath made man's mouth? or who maketh the dumb, or deaf, or the seeing, or the blind? have not I the LORD?” So if you were born with a disability, the Bible calls it an ability. God made you that way for His purpose and glory. Such was the case with the man born blind in John 9:1-3.

Remember that Adam and Eve had never sinned prior to being tempted in the Garden of Eden. It was a paradise, literally. God created Adam and Eve perfectly upright in all their ways. Even within the perfect will of God, the Lord planted the Tree Of Knowledge. God gave them their only opportunity to sin! Think about that. There was only one potential sin for Adam and Eve, which was to eat of the forbidden fruit (Genesis 2:16-17). This teaches us that even while in God's perfect will, the Lord Himself will test our faith, giving us an opportunity to disobey Him. The Bible is clear on this, not just for Adam and Eve, but for every Christian. A faith must be tested! What saith the Scripture? ...

Deuteronomy 8:1-3, “All the commandments which I command thee this day shall ye observe to do, that ye may live, and multiply, and go in and possess the land which the LORD sware unto your fathers. And thou shalt remember all the way which the LORD thy God led thee these forty years in the wilderness, to humble thee, and to prove thee, to know what was in thine heart, whether thou wouldest keep his commandments, or no. And he humbled thee, and suffered thee to hunger, and fed thee with manna, which thou knewest not, neither did thy fathers know; that he might make thee know that man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the LORD doth man live.”

God literally led the Hebrews out of bondage in Egypt, to cause them to suffer in the hot barren desert. The Jews were so excited and happy to be delivered out of slavery in Egypt. They expected everything to become easier from now on. But life didn't get easier. The desert had no water, and the water that they did find was toxic to drink. The desert was filled with draught, tumbleweeds, intolerable heat, snakes, scorpions, lack of food and hardships. 

God wanted to test their faith, to see if they would continue obeying Him in poverty, hardships and unending tough times. There was no relief point! Make sure you get that truth. Things never got better. God provided for their basic needs, giving them manna (angel's food) and quail. The Jews complained relentlessly, accusing Moses of leading them from the frying pan into the fire. Hebrews 11:36 says: “AND OTHERS.” It could very well be God's perfect will for you to be stuck in a wheelchair for the rest of your life. Suffering may be God's perfect will for your life.

So don't evaluate whether God loves you, or is blessing you, based on circumstances. Don't ever do that. The Bible is filled with true stories of saints who suffered; such as Daniel, Joseph, Phillip, James and many others, who suffered for doing right. We should always base whether God loves us or not upon the written inspired Word of God, and never upon life's circumstances. Some Christians are used by God to accomplish great things BY FAITH, but there are OTHERS who are equally used by God who suffer BY FAITH.