Bluff Island in New York’s Adirondack Park has a cliff about eighty feet high overlooking the water. There is an easy trail to the top, and the view from there is worth the climb. On a summer weekend, there are often many people at the top enjoying the view.
Halfway up the cliff is a ledge and a tree from which a rope used to hang. Usually there were a few brave young people who would swing out on the rope and then drop into the deep water below. Once in a while someone would even dive from the top of the cliff, but it took lots of courage to do that. One boy we knew stood for over half an hour at the top, trying to get enough courage to dive off. Finally he dove, and it was over in just a few seconds . . . safely, I am thankful to say.
Many years ago a local resident who had gone off the top of the cliff many times, agreed to jump off on a horse as a stunt. It was to be recorded on film. He was a little nervous about going off on a horse, but he was to be well paid, and money was scarce then. At last he thought everything was ready. He made a perfect dive, in spite of his fears, only to learn that he had jumped too soon, and the cameras has not gotten the picture. So he had to do it all over again, which he did successfully.
One time I was in the city of Agra, India, to see the Taj Mahal, which is nearby. I saw a crowd gathering as they watched a person high on a wall. The crowd gasped as the man dove from that wall over a hundred feet into a deep well. When he came out of the well, he walked around in the crowd collecting coins. I was almost the last person he came to, so I asked him how much he had collected. He opened both hands and showed me fourteen rupees - perhaps a nice sum to him but actually worth only about $2.25 in United States money at the time.
People do very daring things for different reasons - some for money, some for glory or fame, and some for the challenge and thrill. But the money is soon gone, the fame fades away, and the thrill is only for a few moments.
The Bible tells about people who did many brave things, not for money or fame or thrills, but because they believed God and were faithful to Him and to His Word. Do you remember Gideon who went out against Midian’s large army with only three hundred men? How about Jael, the wife of Heber, who slew the feared Sisera with a hammer and a tent nail. A favorite of children is David who killed a lion and a bear, which were after his father’s sheep. He also slew the giant Goliath who defied the armies of the living God. Maybe you remember Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego who were willing to be cast into the burning, fiery furnace rather than worship the king’s golden image. And we can’t forget Daniel who went on praying three times a day, even though the penalty was to be thrown into the lions’ den.
Boys and girls, these are God’s heroes. Let’s ask His help that we might be like them. They were men and women of faith “who through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, waxed [became] valiant in fight, turned to flight the armies of the aliens” (Hebrews 11:33-3433Who through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, 34Quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, waxed valiant in fight, turned to flight the armies of the aliens. (Hebrews 11:33‑34)). Read the rest of verses 35-40 and the first four verses of chapter 12. Yes, these are God’s heroes - this is His honor roll.
ML-06/26/2005