“…others were tortured, not accepting their release, so that they might obtain a better resurrection” (Hebrews 11:35).
Odd as it may seem, I find this portion of Scripture deeply inspiring. The “others” referred to are men and women of God who were persecuted because of their faith. They were granted an opportunity to be released, presumably in exchange for renouncing their faith, and they refused it.
There is no greater blessing on earth – not even life itself – that is more precious than a genuine trust in the Lord. Those who are blessed with it are “like mount Zion which cannot be moved.” They are like trees planted by the waters and do not fear when the heat of adversity comes. These “others” had it! It wasn’t faked. It wasn’t forced. It wasn’t fabricated. It was real. They knew that their present situation, though literally tortuous, was only temporary and that their faith in the Lord, as it was being refined in those fires of adversity, was the true treasure.
What I find inspiring is, if you asked them how they got it, they would surely say something like, “We didn’t know we had it until we needed it. It was not something we ‘got’ it was something we were given.” They were regular, fallible, fragile and scared people just like us. God’s power is always the cause of awesome displays of faith, never our own strength. As the apostle Paul said about his own astonishing faith, “By the grace of God I am what I am.”
When I see the faith exploits of others, or even on occasion when I marvel at my own, I don’t see super humans; I see a supernatural God at work in ordinary “others.” And what He can do in any of us He is able to do in all of us. Trust in His strength, not in the strength of your faith.
References: Jeremiah 17:7-8; Psalm 125; 1 Corinthians 15:10).
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