After being told I need to read The Hiding Place several times by my mom, I finally resolved to push pas the first 5 pages and actually finish the book. And it was worth it! For those who haven’t heard about this book by Corrie Ten Boom; it is an inspirational true story about an amazing Christian family who helped protect Jews during the time of the Nazi invasion. Two sisters, Corrie and Betsie, got captured and sent to various jails and labor camps. Amongst these terrible conditions, they were able to adopt an attitude of joy and see God’s love shining through even when their surroundings seemed so dark. They lived in insanely crowded and miserable conditions, with lice and fleas everywhere. They had reeking and soiled straw they used for bedding; they ate little food, were summoned for hours of role call in the middle of the night, and were forced to do hard labor, among other things. But through this seemingly hopeless situation, Corrie and Betsie knew there was hope. They saw God work in amazing ways while going through their darkest time in life. They were able to sneak their Bible past all the guards, they had “sermons” in their barracks which many women gathered for without guards noticing, and the Lord even supernaturally extended the small supply of medicine they had so help the sick around them. The Ten Booms were selfless in every situation, and because of their desire to obey the Lord and the faith they had in Him, they witnessed amazing changes in the people around them and they were able to experience His comforting presence even through their tough trials.
Here is a passage from page 177 of The Hiding Place:
“It grew harder and harder. Even within these four walls there was too much misery, too much seemingly pointless suffering…But as the rest of the world grew stranger, one thing became increasingly clear. And that was the reason the two of us were here…from morning until lights-out, whenever we were not in ranks for roll call, our Bible was the center of an ever-widening circle of help and hope…the blacker the night around us grew, the brighter and truer and more beautiful burned the word of God. ‘Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? ...Nay. In all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.’
…More than conquerors…it was not a wish. It was a fact. We knew it, we experienced it minute by minute - poor, hated, hungry. We are more than conquerors. Not “we shall be” but we are! Life in Ravensbruck took place on two separate levels, mutually impossible. One, the observable, external life grew every day more horrible. The other, the life we lived with God, grew daily better, truth upon truth, glory upon glory.”
Sometimes situations in our lives seem hopeless. Things happen and we don’t understand why. We feel stressed out, exhausted, and lonely. But we have a Savior who adores us to no end. We have a Maker who knows everything about each of his creations and He has a plan for each and every one of us. He can use the seemingly impossible situations in our lives to bring glory to Him. Sometimes, it is through the darkest places in our lives where we see God the fullest. The harder things get, the more we need God and the greater his glory and unsurpassing beauty can be displayed for all to see. God is good. May we be encouraged this week, through whatever we’re going through, and remember that God is right here with us, he will never leave us, he desires to reveal himself through our situation, and he cares deeply.
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