Tag Archives: corrie ten boom

April 30, 2025 · 5:45 AM

Guarantees Of Obedience

Following God’s plan doesn’t always bring immediate victory. In the 1940’s the Ten Boom family saw how the Germans were treating the Jews. They felt like God wanted them to protect any Jew that needed help. They built a hideaway room in their house and over time saved hundreds. However, they were turned in to the authorities, separated and sent to concentration camps themselves. The father died quickly, while his two daughters, Corrie and Betsie, endured the death camps. Betsie died while in one, and Corrie was released later. Their obedience saved hundreds, but cost them dearly.

In Judges 20, the men of a city in the tribe of Benjamin had raped and murdered a Levite’s wife. The other tribes came to bring correction, but the tribe of Benjamin joined forces and decided to fight back. The other tribes prayed and asked God who should lead the battle. He said Judah. They went to battle and lost. They wept and prayed and asked God if they should fight. He told them yes. They went to battle again, but thousands more lost their lives as they lost. They wept, fasted and prayed asking again. God sent them to battle again, but this time they won. They nearly destroyed the entire tribe of Benjamin.

In Isaiah 43:2 God said, “When you go through deep waters, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown. When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you” (NLT). God doesn’t promise everything will always be good or that you’ll never get hurt or always understand. Instead, He promises to be with you as you go through losses and difficulties. Obedience doesn’t guarantee victory, but it does guarantee His presence to be with you. He never abandoned the Ten Boom family, nor the tribes of Israel in their battles. Instead, He stands with us in the fire, seals the door in the flood and comforts us in tragedy. His presence in those times is our victory.

Photo by Vlad Bagacian on Pexels.

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January 3, 2024 · 5:30 AM

Forgiveness Matters

During World War II, Corrie Ten Boom and her family helped hide Jews from the Nazi’s until they were caught. They were shipped off to concentration camps where her father and sister died from the torture they endured. A few years after the war, Corrie was in Munich, Germany teaching people about how God forgives. After her message, she noticed a man moving toward her as everyone was exiting. It was a guard from the camp she was stationed at who had been evil and vile to the two sisters. He said he had become a Christian and that God had forgiven him of all the terrible things he did at that camp. He then asked her if she would forgive him too. She knew as a Christian she had to, but she struggled. She then asked Jesus to help her as she put out her hand to shake his. She felt a current go through her body and said, “I forgive you, brother! With all my heart!”

I can’t help but think of Joseph whose father had given him a coat of many colors in Genesis 37. His own brothers began to resent him to the pint they agreed to kill him. Instead they took his coat and threw him in a cistern. They sold him into slavery where he was taken to Egypt. For years he was a slave and later a prisoner. He could have resented his brothers for all the pain and heartache they caused him, but instead he chose to forgive. When they came seeking food, he fed them and cared for them. He understood that God was able to use their actions to place him in position to help many. His ability to forgive them and show them kindness in return for what they did to him is another great example of someone who was wronged but chose to forgive.

Colossians 3:13 says, ”Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others“ (NLT). This verse tells us that we are to forgive anyone who offends or hurts us. Remember forgiveness releases you from the prison their actions keeps you in. It doesn’t mean you have to reconcile with them either. It means you must let go of the hurt and the pain they have caused you, quit harboring malice towards them and be willing to treat them as if they didn’t harm you. Like Corrie Ten Boom recalled, we can’t be forgiven by God unless we forgive others. If you can’t do it in your strength, then ask God to help you forgive. You will not fully heal until you do. Don’t carry that weight anymore. Use this start to a new year to help you let go of the weight of unforgiveness.

Photo by Milan Popovic on Unsplash

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July 3, 2023 · 5:43 AM

Occupational Ministry

There are times when we all forget that our occupation is often a call from God. We look at pastors, missionaries and the like and think that they’re fulfilling their calling, but miss the fact that God has wired each of us differently for different occupations. When I feel this way, I thunk of Casper Ten Boom, Corrie’s father. He was a watch maker in Holland. He worked all the time, but didn’t have a lot of money because he didn’t charge the poor for his services, gave money to those who needed it and took in foster children. His occupation provided means to share the Gospel. So when the Nazis invaded, his watch shop was used as the front door to the Underground Railroad to move Jews to safety. God used him to save hundreds because he was willing to save a few before there ever was a war.

When Jesus called the disciples, there were at their jobs. Several were fisherman who were cleaning their nets when He called them to follow Him. Dorcas was a seamstress in the New Testament who used her skills to make winter clothing for the poor. Pricilla and Aquila were tent makers who heard the good news about Jesus and gave their hearts to him. They continued making tents. Paul even joined them in making tents as he preached. When the Jews were expelled from Rome, Paul took them to Corinth to use their skills as tent makers and teachers. They trained Apollos, another mighty preacher who won the lost. The Bible is full of people whom God used in their occupation to share His love with others. Do you see your occupation as an opportunity for ministry or just a means to an end?

In Mark 16:10 Jesus says, “If you are faithful in little things, you will be faithful in large ones. But if you are dishonest in little things, you won’t be honest with greater responsibilities” (NLT). He shared this after telling a parable about a worker. Many of us want greater responsibilities and greater resources, but what are you doing with what you have right now? If you’re not using what you have now for His purposes, you won’t do it later. What is God asking you to do today in your occupation or with your current income? How you can benefit His kingdom with what you have and where you are? Start doing that, no matter how small and insignificant it may seem to you. Then God will open up greater doors of opportunity for you. Most of the people God uses have non-ministry occupations. Your job is not just a paycheck. It’s an opportunity to make a difference.

Photo by Samantha Gades on Unsplash

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November 18, 2015 · 5:30 AM

The Necessity Of Generosity 

  
One of the things I look forward to each November 1st is Jimmy Kimmel showing videos of parents who told their children they ate all their Halloween candy. When the kids find out that all the candy that they got for free is gone, they freak out. Some cry, some scream in anger, and some destroy the house in anger. There are some though, who smile and say, “It’s ok.” They are generous with what was given to them.

While I laugh at the angry kids response, it’s scary to think that their reactions are mirrors of so many adults. We are rarely generous with things that have been placed in our hands. When others ask for those things, we get angry and tell them to go get their own. The truth is that everything we have has been given to us by God and He asks us to be generous with what He gives us.

If you have been given something, why wouldn’t you want to share it? Usually we don’t because of the law of scarcity. We hold tight and value something we are afraid to lose and never get back. But God works differently. If we are willing to be generous with the little He gives us, He will multiply it. That’s a hard concept for us to understand when we’ve learned to treasure things that are scarce. God’s ways are not like ours though.

In his first book, Peter reiterates the necessity of generosity. In I Peter 4:10 he wrote, “Be generous with the different things God gave you, passing them around so all get in on it” (MSG). God has been so generous with us and He expects us to be like Him. As Corrie Ten Boom warned, we shouldn’t hold tightly to the things God places in our hands because it will hurt if He has to pry our fingers open. Keep an open hand that gives and God will keep putting things in it.

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March 11, 2015 · 7:21 AM

Know God, No Worry

I find myself thinking about the future a lot. I can easily get lost going down the rabbit hole of what could happen. Sometimes I get there from trying to figure out my future and all God has planned for me. Sometimes I get there by trying to figure out how everything in the news lines up with the Bible so I can figure out where we are in the end times. Then there are times when I’m pressed with life choices and decisions and I worry so much about making the right decision. I find that those thoughts take up a lot of time and energy.

When that happens, I remind myself of a few things. The first thing comes from holocaust survivor Corrie Ten Boom. She said, “Worrying is carrying tomorrow’s load with today’s strength – carrying two days at once. It is moving into tomorrow ahead of time. Worrying doesn’t empty tomorrow of its sorrow, it empties today of its strength.” Profound words like that help put me back into place. They remind me that God has given me the strength to handle today’s problems. They also remind me that when I start to worry over things that haven’t happened, I’m not really trusting God with my future.

That thought leads me to something else she said, “Never be afraid to trust an unknown future to a known God.” If we know God, we don’t have to know the future because He already does. The more we worry about what may or may not come, the less faith we have in the One who, we have given our lives to. Essentially we are telling God either that we know better than He does or that we don’t trust Him to take care of us. Either way, we are wrong. God is not going to be surprised by what happens tomorrow because it’s already history to Him. He has been preparing you each step of the way to give you the strength you need to face whatever comes your way.

That then reminds me of what Jesus said in Matthew 6:34, “So do not worry about tomorrow; it will have enough worries of its own. There is no need to add to the troubles each day brings.(GNT)” When we worry, we are directly disobeying Jesus. In the verses before, He reiterates how much each of us are worth to God. He tells us that the Father knows everything we need and that we should trust Him. Worry isn’t what moves God, faith is! Quit trusting in your own wisdom or thought process and trust in the One who knows your future and provides for your every need. When you do, you’ll find the peace your mind needs and the strength your body craves.

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