Every night before my two little friends go to bed I've been telling them stories out of the Old Testament. Being boys, they like the ones best where somebody get killed and armies clash in battles. They love the drama of the stories and the fact that they're real. That it really happened. Telling these stories that I have heard my whole life, and putting them into words that little boys can understand has opened my eyes to things in these stories that I never noticed.
These are the stories of heroes. The original heroes. Real, live people. Some of them have long stories like Samuel, David, Samson, Moses... but others have only a few verses like Shamgar, Othniel, and Zechariah son of Jehoiada the priest.
But does that make them any less of a hero in God's eyes? No.
Every one of those men did what God asked them to. They were given a task and they completed that task with the resources they had.
David had an army and a core group of loyal, mighty warriors. Shamgar had an ox goad, but God used both of them to deliver His people from their enemies.
Samuel was God's voice for many years, in many different situations. Zechariah was God's voice in one instance and he was stoned for it. But both men were obedient to the Word of the Lord and spoke it to those it was meant for.
Moses delivered Israel from 400 years of slavery in Egypt and led them for 40 years in the Wilderness and experienced incredible acts of God. Othneil delivered Israel from 8 years of servitude to the king of Mesopotamia and led them in peace for 40 years.
The stories of these men are all so different but with a common thread... obedience. They became heroes because they were humble enough to hear God and courageous enough to act on what they heard.
God has called you to be a hero too. He designed you for a task that no one else can do. It's tailor made just to fit you and the resources that He has given you. Maybe your story won't take up a whole book like Nehemiah or Esther, or several books like David and Moses. But He has a story written out for you that is unique and special to Him. Right now, at this very moment, you have what you need to be a hero. You have what it takes.
Will you use it?
