40 Days of Faith: Day 39

Hebrews 11:37b-38 – They went about in skins of sheep and goats, destitute, afflicted, mistreated— 38 of whom the world was not worthy—wandering about in deserts and mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth.

My thermostat is set to 74 degrees. It’s a Sunday afternoon, and my wife is stretched out on the couch, taking a nap. I’ve been texting with a friend who is a Cowboys fan about the Micah Parsons trade, and he is absolutely devastated.

It’s pretty comfortable in my house today. As I read our verses for today from Hebrews 11, it is hard to really grasp this sort of reality for brothers and sisters in Christ. Yet, this is the third day of one continuous thought about those who were persecuted for their faith, as laid out for us in Hebrews 11:36-38.

Did you know that these three verses are one sentence in the Greek? The writer has taken us from biblical examples of victory and resurrection, to suddenly walking us through painful persecution of the faithful remnant. This passage most likely refers to a mixture of figures: Old Testament prophets (especially Elijah, Elisha, and others who lived in poverty and isolation), David hiding in caves, and the Maccabean martyrs who fled to the wilderness and suffered for their faith.

The author of Hebrews is painting a broad portrait of faithful endurance in the face of mistreatment and exile, not necessarily identifying just one person. Notice something with me as we are nearing the finish line together in this 40-day devotional.

It says in verse 38, “…of whom the world was not worthy…” F.F. Bruce states, “the phrase ‘of whom the world was not worthy’ is a striking reversal: the world despised them as worthless, but in God’s sight, they were too good for the world.”[1]

 I love that perspective. The world discards the people of God, but God has not discarded the people of the world. Instead, He has continued to provide a faithful witness to each generation so that He can reach every single nation, tribe, and tongue.

 In the Middle East today, countless believers live the very reality described in Hebrews. One powerful example comes from Christians in northern Iraq during the ISIS invasion of 2014. When ISIS forces swept into Mosul, they gave Christians three options: convert to Islam, pay an impossible tax, or die. Families who had lived in the Nineveh plains for centuries were driven from their homes with nothing but the clothes on their backs. Many fled into the desert and the mountains of Kurdistan. With no shelter, they took refuge in abandoned buildings, caves, or makeshift tents. Mothers cradled babies in the open air; the elderly limped along dusty roads; entire congregations carried crosses hidden beneath their garments.[2]

 One survivor later told Open Doors International:
 “They painted the letter ‘N’ for Nazarene on our doors to mark us as Christians. They thought we were not worthy of our homes. But I realized — in God’s eyes, they were not worthy of us, for we belong to Christ.”[3]

 This testimony echoes Hebrews 11:38 — “of whom the world was not worthy.” While the world cast them out as unworthy, God saw them as His precious ones, worthy of eternal glory.

 These displaced Christians lost homes, possessions, and safety, but they did not lose faith. Gathered in tents and refugee camps, they worshiped with lifted hands, still proclaiming Jesus as Lord. Their perseverance is a modern reminder that faith can survive when stripped of every earthly comfort because knowing and following Jesus is better than anything this world has to offer.

 The world may strip us of possessions, opportunities, or even safety, but it cannot take away Christ. Will you pray again today for persecuted believers—those living in deserts, tents, or secret caves—who continue to hold fast to Jesus? Will you also ask God to give you the same faith, so that if your comforts are stripped away, you will still cling to Him?

 Prayer
Lord, strengthen Your church around the world—especially those cast out of homes, wandering in deserts and mountains, or hiding in caves because they bear Your name. Make their faith unshakable and let their witness shine in the darkness. Strengthen me also, that I may hold fast to You even if the world turns against me. May I live as one “of whom the world is not worthy.” In Jesus’ name, Amen.
 
[1] F. F. Bruce (The Epistle to the Hebrews, NICNT, 1990).
[2] “Day of the Christian Martyr: Christians Persecuted in Mosul Iraq (2014),” Voice of the Martyrs, accessed August 2025, https://www.persecution.com.
[3] “Ten Years after IS Captured Mosul, Believers Still Feel Unable to Return,” Open Doors International, accessed August 2025, https://www.opendoors.org.