One of the best loved chapters of the Bible comes from the book of Hebrews, and is all about the triumphs of people who lived a life of faith. It gives an extensive list of names of the great heroes from Old Testament times, who, through faith, did amazing things, and experienced amazing deliverances, even though faced with amazing odds.
But then, in the midst of all this triumphalism, it starts to talk about those who didn’t experience wonderful deliverances, and those whose faithfulness to God resulted in pain, persecution, deprivation and death, but who never gave up. ‘These,’ the Bible says, ‘were all commended for their faith.’
It reminds us that faith is not about everything turning out OK. Faith is about being OK no matter how things turn out.