Those men were waiting for a better country—a heavenly country. So God is not ashamed to be called their God. For he has prepared a city for them. - Hebrews 11:16 ICB

How cold was it? It was so cold that seven members of the marching band were hospitalized with hypothermia. It was so cold that when the referee blew the opening whistle, it stuck to his lips.

It was December 31, 1967, in Green Bay. Game-time temperature for the NFL championship between the Packers and Dallas Cowboys was –13° F, with a wind chill of –48°: It was the Ice Bowl, perhaps the coldest pro football game ever played.

With sixteen seconds left and the Pack out of time-outs, center Kenny Bowman and guard Jerry Kramer bulldozed a crease in the Cowboys’ line so quarterback Bart Starr could wedge through for the winning score. A running play had been called because the O-line had done such a lousy job of protecting Starr (eight sacks). In the end, Bowman and Kramer were applauded for their vital role in the final TD.

Like that Green Bay line, Bible heroes usually struggled before coming through. In Hebrews 11, quite a few “losers” are singled out for praise. Abraham lied twice to kings. Jacob was a trickster, thief, and liar (Hebrews 11:8–11). The rest of the list later reveals even more questionable characters, including two murderers—Moses and David (vv. 23–29, 32).

God has great plans for us even though we are not perfect! Nothing can stop us from overcoming for God’s glory.