The Lodestar

The Rajputs are a warrior caste in the North-Western regions of India renowned for their bravery. When a Rajput soldier returns from the war, the women in his household—wife, mother, or sisters—examine the back of his body for wounds before letting him in. Only a soldier running from the battleground gets wounded in the back, but the soldier who charges towards the enemy line gets injured in the front. The Rajput village has no place for a run-away coward so that he will be chased out. A heroic welcome awaits the one who returns with a bleeding face, swollen eyes, and a wounded chest.

This verse introduces the list of heroes of faith in the following chapter (Hebrews 11:1—12:2). It is a long list of heroes who advanced against the unbelievable, invisible, and incomprehensible with unusual assurance and conviction. They saw things that others could not see and believed in them. They were sure that what God had promised to them existed, although there was no physical evidence except for their faith.

Those who withdrew from the scene without venturing further beyond the visible to the realm of faith perished on the way. However, those who moved on with faith while sight failed preserved their souls for eternity.

Faith is the fuel that propels us to the realm of God, where the visible and worthless have no place, but what is invisible now glows with eternal radiance.

So, keep trusting and running towards the shore of eternity without retreating.

Do not let doubt or fear hold you back. Like those who perished by retreating, withdrawing from the challenge of faith leads only to spiritual stagnation. Instead, fuel your spirit with the unwavering assurance that what God has promised exists, even if it is currently beyond your sight.