Unassuming Heroes of the Bible

Introduction

Here is today’s devotion to start your day.

Also available now at Power, Love & Miracles:

The Ongoing Christmas. The Bible Unplugged podcast, episode 69

A New Rhythm for The Bible Unplugged. Bonus podcast episode

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You probably know their type.

They arrive early to unlock the building and turn on the lights.
They rock babies in the nursery so parents can sit through a service.
They stack chairs, wash communion cups, and tidy the kitchen after everyone else has gone home.

No one applauds when they leave. Most people never know their names.
But heaven does.

You see them in your neighborhood too—the caregiver who quietly walks a loved one with unsteady steps; the coworker who does excellent work but never seeks credit; the neighbor who keeps showing up, year after year, with casseroles and conversation when someone is sick or grieving.

These are the people this book is for.
And these are the people this book is about.

Why Hidden Heroes?

When we think of “Bible heroes,” we often jump to the big names: Abraham, Moses, David, Esther, Peter, and Paul. Their stories are important, and rightly so. But woven all through Scripture is another layer of characters—servants, widows, craftsmen, host mothers, unnamed neighbors—whose small, faithful choices move the story of God forward in quiet ways.

Some of them get a name and a sentence.
Some of them never get a name at all.
None of them know, in the moment, how much their obedience matters.

A servant girl speaks up in a foreign household.
Two midwives quietly refuse a king’s command.
A big sister stands watch by a river.
A foreign court official pulls a prophet out of a muddy pit.
A boy hands over his lunch.
A businesswoman opens her home.

If you have ever felt ordinary, overlooked, tired, or unsure that your life really “counts” in the kingdom of God, you are in good company. The Bible is full of unassuming people whose quiet courage, generosity, and faith opened the way for God’s work in the world.

This book is an invitation to see them—and to see yourself—in a new way.

How This Devotional Is Shaped

“Hidden Heroes of the Bible” is a 31-day journey through the lives of people who worked mostly offstage yet were essential to the story.

The devotional is arranged in five parts:

Part 1– Hidden in the Story: Old Testament (Days 1–7)
We begin with servants, midwives, widows, craftsmen, and foreigners tucked into the Old Testament narrative. These are people like Naaman’s servant girl, Shiphrah and Puah, Miriam, Obadiah, the widow of Zarephath, Bezalel and Oholiab, and Ebed-Melech. They remind us that God has always worked through people who stand in the margins, not just at the center.

Part 2– Quiet Heroes Around Jesus (Days 8–14)
Next we move to the life of Jesus and the people orbiting around Him: Joseph the quiet father, Anna in the temple, four friends tearing open a roof, a boy with a lunch, a desperate woman reaching for the fringe of His robe, a Roman centurion with unexpected faith, and women who funded His ministry. Here, we see how ordinary lives become holy when they brush up against Christ.

Part 3– Behind the Scenes of the Early Church (Days 15–21)
Then we step into Acts and the letters: Barnabas the encourager, Ananias who went to the enemy, Tabitha with a sewing room full of love, Lydia with an open home, Priscilla and Aquila mentoring from their workshop, Onesiphorus visiting a chained apostle, and Epaphroditus almost dying in the line of duty. These believers show us that the early church was held together by far more than the apostles’ preaching.

Part 4– Unnamed & Overlooked (Days 22–27)
Here we focus on people who remain nameless on the page: the “good Samaritan,” the widow with two coins, the faithful servant in Jesus’ parable, the owners of the donkey and the upper room, the ordinary worshipers of Acts 2, and the older believers Paul calls to mentor the younger. They invite us to pay attention to roles, not reputations.

Part 5– You, the Unassuming Hero (Days 28–31)
Finally, the lens turns directly toward you: the caregiver no one notices, the coworker who prays in secret, the neighbor who stays, and the simple truth that you are God’s handcrafted hero, created for good works in the middle of your actual life.

Each day follows a simple rhythm:

• Scripture– A brief passage anchoring the story.

• Reflection– A pastoral, conversational look at the hidden hero and how their story connects with yours.

• Centering Prayer– A short prayer (about 25 seconds aloud) to help you rest your heart in God’s presence.

• Practice for Today– A simple task or exercise to apply what you’ve learned

• Journaling Prompt– A question or two to get you thinking about the meaning of the devotion.

• Closing Blessing– A blessing you speak over yourself as you face the day

• Pray as You Go”– A simple line to breathe in and breathe out as you move through your day.

You can move straight through in 31 days or linger where you need to. You might use this on your own, with a spouse or friend, or as a framework for small group conversation. There is no “right” way; there is only the invitation to show up, listen, and respond.

What I Hope You’ll Hear

Beneath all the individual stories, there are a few deep currents I hope you’ll notice:

You are not “just” anything– Not just a parent, just a caregiver, just a volunteer, just an employee, just a neighbor. In the hands of God, your ordinary roles become sacred assignments. The small acts of love you offer—the ones that never make it into a church newsletter—matter profoundly to Him.

God delights in working through weakness and obscurity– From the poor widow with two coins to the boy with the lunch, God seems to enjoy lifting up the unlikely, the overlooked, and the under-qualified. He is not looking for the loudest or the most impressive; He is looking for those willing to say “yes” where they are.

Faithfulness is often slow and unspectacular– Most of the heroes in this book do not have a single dramatic moment; they have years of quiet faithfulness. Anna praying in the temple. Barnabas encouraging one person at a time. The Acts 2 believers sharing meals and possessions. Holiness often looks like staying when you want to run, serving when you feel unseen, loving when there is no applause.

You are part of a much bigger story– Every hidden hero we meet is a thread in a tapestry they cannot fully see. So are you. You may never know, this side of heaven, how God uses your kindness, your prayers, your generosity, your perseverance. But one day, when the story is told in full, you will see that nothing done in love was wasted.

A Simple Invitation

As you open these pages, bring your real life with you—the fatigue, the questions, the disappointments, the quiet hopes. You don’t have to pretend to be more spiritual or more “together” than you are. God meets us in honest places.

You might begin each day asking:

“Lord, where are You inviting me to be a hidden hero today—in my home, my work, my church, my neighborhood, my own heart?”

Then listen.
Read the story.
Pray the prayer.
Carry “Pray as You go” into your commute, your chores, your conversations.

My hope is that, by the end of these 31 days, you’ll not only love the hidden heroes of Scripture more—you’ll recognize the hidden heroes around you and, perhaps most importantly, you’ll recognize that you are one of them.

You are seen.
You are called.
You are God’s workmanship.

Now, let’s go meet some quiet heroes—and discover the quiet hero God is shaping in you.