“Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.”
Hebrews 11:1
I never imagined that I would derive inspiration from “Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer” for the Pilgrim’s Path. In the 1964 classic Christmas movie, Rudolph and his friends land on an island of misfits. In the end, Rudolph, as a misfit, plays a vital role in saving Christmas for all the girls and boys.
As one reads through the list of the heroes of faith in Hebrews 11, we may have a tendency to become discouraged. We read of those who “through faith conquered kingdoms, enforced justice, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, … became mighty in war, put foreign armies to flight.” And if we honestly evaluate our own faith compared to this list, we may think that we will never match up to such a level. But that is not the message of Hebrews 11.
Look closely at some of the characters mentioned, Moses, Rahab, Samson and David: Murderers, prostitutes, adulterers, thieves, and rebels. And yet, God was able to use these misfits to accomplish his divine purposes in bringing salvation to the world through Jesus Christ. The hero of Hebrews 11 is none other than God Himself! He is the One who sovereignly imparts faith to those whom He chooses! And He specializes in using misfits to accomplish His purposes, so that the glory will necessarily be ascribed to God alone!
As we consider the wonder of God’s redeeming grace in our lives, may God continually melt our hearts to reach out to other misfits with the love and the grace that has been extended to us. Pray that God would use this church as a beacon in a world of darkness, calling misfits of every sort to come to Jesus. He stands ready to forgive and to receive, and to use such misfits for His eternal glory!
A contemporary Christian song entitled “Beautiful Messes” includes these words:
“We’re all David’s we’re all Mary’s,
We’ve been liars, thieves and everything between;
But don’t forget God used the misfits just like us
To do the most amazing things!”