Abraham walked with God and was called a friend of God. Noah walked with God, and when the flood came he was saved. Moses walked with God in the desert, and when the hour of judgment fell upon Egypt, he was prepared to lead his people to victory. David walked with God as a shepherd boy, and when he was called upon to rule his people, he was prepared for the task of being a king. Daniel was saved from the lions’ den, and his friends were spared from the fiery furnace.
God does not always pull his children out of deep water. Stephen was a young man “full of faith and of the Holy Spirit” (Acts 6:5). He was stoned to death, but his entry into Heaven was triumphal.