I have gone through many things in my life, for which I have not had answers for. Then again, some things happened which I knew I had no wrongdoing on my part, yet I had to go through consequences because of other people’s wrong decisions. This hurts, especially if those people are close to you, the one’s you trust your life with.
I listened to a powerful testimony of Corrie Ten Boom, titled: A faith undefeated. Now, Corrie was a Dutch watchmaker and later a Christian writer and public speaker, who worked with her father, Casper Ten Boom, her sister, Betsie and other family members, to help many Jewish people escape from the Nazis during the Holocaust in World War II, by hiding them in her home. She believed her actions were following the will of God.
They were caught and she was arrested and sentenced to the Ravensbrück concentration camp. Her most famous book, the Hiding Place, is a biography that recounts the story of her family’s efforts and how she found and shared hope in God, while she was in prison at the concentration camp. I would like to share her testimony and although I recommend that you listen to it online, I do believe by sharing it here, will have an impact in the lives of those who need to read it today:
“The source of our strength is Jesus Christ Himself and His cross shows us that we can accept suffering as a part of God’s plan for this world. When I was in concentration camp, one of the most terrible things I had to go through was that they stripped us of all our clothing, and we had to stand naked. The first time was the worst. I said: “Betsie, I cannot bear this.” And suddenly it was as if I saw Jesus at the cross. And the Bible tells, they took His garments. He hang there naked, and I knew He hang there for me, my sins! And by my suffering, I understood a fraction of the suffering of Jesus Christ, and it made me so thankful that I could bear my suffering.
Love, so amazing, so divine, demands my life, my soul, my all. Some people are afraid to look at the cross. Are you? Don’t be afraid! The cross is terrible! It is terrible how Jesus suffered. If you had been the only person in the world, Jesus should have suffered for your sins. It was some time ago; I was in Berlin and a man came to me and said: “Ms Ten Boom! I am glad to see you! Don’t you recognize me?” Suddenly I saw. That man was one of the most cruel overseer guards in the concentration camp. That man said: “I now a Christian. I found the Lord Jesus.
I know there is forgiveness for all the sins of the whole world, also for my sins. I have asked God’s grace for an opportunity that I could ask one of my very victims, forgiveness; and frauline Ten Boom, will you forgive me?” And I could not. I remembered the suffering of my dying sister, through him. But when I saw, when I experienced, I could not forgive. Suddenly I knew, I myself had no forgiveness!
Do you know that Jesus has said that when you do not forgive those who have sinned against you, my Heavenly Father will not forgive you your sins? I knew, oh, I am not ready for Jesus’ coming, because I have no forgiveness for my sins. But I was not able! I could not! I could only hate him! Then I took one of those beautiful texts, one of the boundless resources, Romans 5:5 – The love of God is shed abroad into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who is given to us, and I said: Thank You Jesus that you have brought into my heart, God’s love through the Holy Spirit, who is given to me.
And thank You Father that Your love is stronger than my hatred and unforgiveness. That same moment, I was free, and I could say: “Brother give me your hand,” and I shook hands with Him, and it was as if I felt God’s love stream through my arms. You’ve never touched so the ocean of God’s love, is that you forgive your enemies. Can you forgive? No! I can’t either, but He can!
Just like Corrie Ten Boom, in the storms we face, we don’t always hear God, but He is there. He is still God and still on the throne. He has never left our sides. We stumble and fall, and it feels like we have no strength to carry on but listen carefully, He will not leave nor forsake us (Joshua 1:5 – 9). This means that whatever we are going through, He is going through it with us.
The question is, when we have no answers to WHY, when we feel broken and alone in the storms of life, will we turn from God and blame Him, or lift our hands and praise Him in the storm, like Job did? No storm lasts forever and at some point, it will end. Although there might have been devastation, pain and loss, we will remember that storm and how we made it through.
God says to us in Hebrews 10:35 not to lose our confidence in Him, as it will be richly rewarded. His mercy will fall on those who trust Him. Every storm will leave a testimony to tell, growing others and empowering them to leave a legacy, that although we don’t have all the answers to WHY, we will not loose our faith and confidence in God, for He will come through for us, every time!
Love in Christ
Princess K