These people of faith died without receiving all that God has promised, but they never lost their vision of heaven. Some experienced outstanding victories even over the threat of death. But others were severely mistreated, tortured, and even killed. Having a steadfast faith in God does not guarantee a happy, carefree life. On the contrary, our faith almost guarantees us some form of abuse from the world. While we are on earth, we may never see the purpose of our suffering. But we know that God will keep His promises to us. Many Christians become frustrated and defeated because their needs, wants, expectations, and demands are not immediately met when they accept Christ as Saviour. They become impatient and want to quit. Are you discouraged because the achievement of your goal seems far away? Take courage from these heroes of faith, who lived and died without seeing the fruit of their faith on earth and yet continued to believe.
((NLT LIFE APPLICATION STUDY BIBLE))