Connecting with Characters in the Bible

When considering the many characters in the Bible, with whom do you most connect?

While the number of people written about in Scripture varies depending on which

version you read, the King James Bible boasts 1,940 names. Not every person in

the Bible was faithful and obedient, giving us a wide variety of stories with which we can relate.

Was Daniel your most cherished Bible hero as a child, when he found himself in a den

of lions, or Jonah when he was caught in the belly of a giant fish? They may still be

your favorite characters today, but have your reasons for liking them changed over

time? Have you studied the life of Daniel to learn about his undaunted faith as he prayed

boldly, even during King Darion’s edict that any person who worshipped anyone but him

would be killed?

We can’t cover them all here, but let’s list and summarize a few well-known Bible friends

and some of their notable qualities. Moses was both wise and humble. Abraham and

Noah were faithful and obedient. The Woman at the Well was truth-seeking and daring.

John the Apostle, son of Zebedee, was a devoted disciple, a man of prayer, and a pillar

of the church. Peter was an impulsive leader who denied knowing Jesus when He faced

crucifixion. Paul, a persecutor of the Jews, was radically converted and became a God-

inspired writer and leader of the church. The woman with the issue of blood mentioned in Matthew 9, Mark 5, and Luke 8 was deemed unclean and cast out of society. Still, she was humble and courageously faith-filled.

Despite tremendous trials, Ruth was loyal and God-fearing, as was Job. Jonah was initially

disobedient to the Lord’s directive to travel to Ninevah but went on to fulfill his God-given

talent as a courageous prophet and preacher.

With which characters do you most relate and why? Whether or not it’s someone from this list, did they have a Godly or a rebellious spirit? Reflect on why you relate to these positive or negative character traits in your life today. Can you draw hope from those who came from a tarnished or sinful past but were redeemed by the Lord? Regardless of who your most relatable Bible personalities are, God used them mightily. Even Judas? Yes, even Judas. Do any sinful or evil kings come to mind from 1 & 2 Samuel or 1 & 2 Kings? Every character whose life did not end well was still a part of God’s larger plan and Kingdom purposes.

Am I asking you an impossible question? Your choices may change over time as your faith grows and matures. The primary purpose of this exercise is to ask yourself, “Where is my

heart sitting today?”

In fairness, I can’t ask you to do something that I won’t wade into myself, so while I don’t

feel qualified to hold a candle to most of these Bible heroes, Job is the person with whom

I most heart connect. Job is not my favorite because I am righteous or blameless—not

in the least! However, like Job, I have cried out time and again when illness, chronic

pain, cancer, or surgical complications have profoundly impacted the quality of my

physical life.

Even as I write this, I can’t help thinking of my friend Job scratching the lesions on his skin with shards of broken pottery (Job 2:8, NIV), as I sleeplessly claw at a protracted autoimmune skin disease. I confess that like Job, in pain and exhaustion, I have asked God to take me to heaven on several occasions so that my suffering on earth would end. Yet God has never given me more than I can handle, because His measure of comfort and endurance has led me to powerfully

persevere in the name of Jesus. While it has not always been an easy journey, my life has proven to be an encouragement to others and has given me a deep well of compassion from

which to comfort the wounded. For that, I am genuinely grateful.

In the last chapter of Job, he confessed and repented to the Lord saying, “my ears had

heard of you but now my eyes have seen you” (Job 42:5, NIV). The Lord accepted Job’s repentance and restored him, blessing the latter part of his life more than the former (Job 42:12, NIV).

God doesn’t owe me restoration or a long life of 140 years like Job, but He gives me blessings

so numerous I can never count them all. It’s often hard to understand why a good God would allow affliction and torment to befall His people. Still, our Father’s reasons for allowing trials are for the growth of the individual’s character and for the glory of God.

I encourage you to seek God in a quiet moment today. Pray and ask your heavenly Father to speak to you, confirm or redirect your thoughts, or point you to other stories in Scripture for further exploration. Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal your growth and celebrate it!

If you still can’t pick a favorite character of the Bible, can you choose a favorite book? The book of Jude may be one of the shortest, coming in at 461 words, but it has much to teach—warning us and building us up in our faith. The holy and dynamic nature of God’s Word doesn’t need to span dozens of pages to be impactful. How does your most beloved book of the Bible touch

your heart, resonate with your life, or inspire you to grow and change?

Scripture is stocked with stories illustrating countless qualities ranging from discernment,

hospitality, self-control, servanthood, wisdom, meekness, sincerity, selflessness, greed, martyrdom, and much more. Have fun surveying Scripture to learn about the many

daunting, heartbreaking, and inspiring stories that make the Bible one of the best books you

will read. Every time you encounter the Word of God it “is living and active, sharper than any

two-edged sword” (Hebrews 4:12, ESV), and the Holy Spirit will prompt passages to leap off

the page that you may have never noticed. I am confident that within God’s Word, you will

find people, stories, and adventures to help you feel less alone in your struggles. I pray that

maybe you’ll come to think of them as your Bible tribe.

If you don’t have a present-day tribe, consider plugging into a church in your community,

a Bible study, or partnering with someone to disciple you. Are you open to mentoring

someone else? Studying the Word of God is life-changing, but we are not called to study

in isolation, rather to connect with the family of God. What an inexplicable joy it will be to

meet all the saints in heaven one day! Glory bound, my sisters. Glory bound.

Author and speaker, Jenny Foster is passionate about helping people move from adversity to inspiration. The Lord called her to write a book and create an abortion healing ministry called LovedMuch. She enjoys traveling, reading, mentoring, creative writing, and Bible journaling.

You can reach Jenny at jennyfoster.org/ or author@jennyfoster.org.