Beloved by Christians for generations, Corrie ten Boom has inspired millions with her wisdom. Of the faithfulness of God, she said:
“When a train goes through a tunnel and it gets dark, you don’t throw away the ticket and jump off. You sit still and trust the engineer.”
Her book The Hiding Place, published in 1971, tells the story of her family who were watchmakers in Haarlem, the Netherlands, during the Holocaust. It is a must read! She was a heroine in the Dutch resistance and survived imprisonment in a concentration camp after Nazis arrested her family for saving Jewish families by hiding them in a secret room in the attic.
The secret room was in Corrie’s bedroom behind a false wall and would hold 6 people. A ventilation system was installed for the occupants. A buzzer could be heard in the house to warn the refugees to get into the room as quickly as possible during security sweeps through the neighborhood. The family became part of the Dutch underground resistance network and oversaw a network of smuggling Jews. All in all, it is estimated that around 800 Jews were saved by the Ten Boom family.
On 28 February 1944, a Dutch informant, Jan Vogel, told the Nazis about the Ten Booms’ work and the Nazis arrested the entire family. Corrie and her sister Betsie eventually ended up in Ravensbruck concentration camp. Despite the deplorable conditions, they held worship services using a Bible they had managed to smuggle in. Many prisoners were converted to Christianity. Unfortunately, Betsie’s health deteriorated later in 1944 and she died. Twelve days later, Corrie was released. She was told afterward that she was released because of a clerical error and that a week later, all the women in her age group were sent to the gas chambers.
Corrie Ten Boom’s story is a manifestation of her supernatural faith in the faithfulness of God!
If you haven’t read her book, it is life changing. Each time I hear her story, it reminds me of the safety in trouble which God has given us. It also reminds me of why it’s imperative to develop the attitudes of Christ and develop a healthy attitude of thanksgiving for affliction.
One of my favorite scriptures about God’s care in times of trouble is from Psalms 91:
“He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress; My God, in Him I will trust.”
Surely He shall deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the perilous pestilence. He shall cover you with His feathers, and under His wings you shall take refuge; His truth shall be your shield and buckler. You shall not be afraid of the terror by night, nor of the arrow that flies by day, nor of the pestilence that walks in darkness, nor of the destruction that lays waste at noonday.” Psalms 91:1-6
Corrie trusted God unwaveringly.
He was the engineer who brought her through the darkness of the tunnel and gave her a ministry far greater than she would have ever had if she had remained a simple watchmaker. God wrote an amazing story of her life. My friend, God is our refuge and our strength. He is our strong tower. He writes our best story.
2 Responses
That´s really great Kim. Thanks.
Praise God, brother!