One of the most devastating things in my childhood was something my parents told me. After very poor behavior on my part, they scolded me sternly. Then they said: “I’m ashamed of you. You know better than to act like that.” Like any other child, I wanted to hear their praises and wanted them to be proud of me. Hearing those words crushed my spirit, but those words also motivated me toward better behavior.

There is a profound statement in Hebrews 11:16: “…God is not ashamed to be called their God….” The author is referring to several of the Old Testament saints of Israel. Righteous Able is the first to be mentioned (vs. 4). God had revealed to Adam and his sons that the true way to worship Jehovah was through the blood sacrifice of a perfect, yet innocent, animal. By faith, Able offered the correct sacrifice, and it cost him his life as his brother angrily slew him in jealousy because God accepted his worship. Enoch “pleased God” (vs. 5) by having a daily personal walk in fellowship with the Lord. Consequently, he grew in his faith and God rewarded him by translating him to heaven without seeing death. Noah became “…heir of the righteousness which is by faith…” when he obediently built an ark. II Peter 2:5 refers to Noah as “a preacher of righteousness,” because while building that ark for over a hundred years, he proclaimed faith in Jehovah to an unbelieving and scoffing world. Hebrews 11:16-17 refers to Abraham as one about whom the Lord was not ashamed. God promised him a son from whom the Lord would make a great nation. Abraham had to wait over 25 years to see God’s promise of a son fulfilled. Nonetheless, Abraham obeyed and left his native land, though he didn’t know where God was leading him. He did not know how God would fulfill His promise of a son because Abraham and Sarah were past childbearing years. But he still believed God’s promise by faith (Romans 4:13-25). Even though he did not understand why, Abraham obeyed years later when God told him to sacrifice his son, who was a miraculous provision.

All these saints demonstrated genuine faith in God’s promises and obedience to His instruction. It is no surprise that God was not ashamed to be called their God. Likewise, if you seek to demonstrate faith, godliness, and obedience to the Lord, He will not be ashamed to be called your God.