TRUST
Corrie ten Boom (1892-1983)
——–
The members of the ten Boom family were Dutch Christians who helped many Jews hide from the Nazis. When their home was raided after an informant tipped off the Nazis of their activities, the entire family was imprisoned. Corrie and her sister were sent to a concentration camp. Corrie was miraculously released from prison just days after her sister had died there. Corrie was the only one of her entire family to survive. Yet, God brought incredible beauty and healing through her difficult experiences, and in her international ministry Corrie spoke often about trusting God, especially in darkness. Here are several examples of her simple, yet profound wisdom.
——————–
Worry does not empty tomorrow of its sorrow, it empties today of its strength.
Never be afraid to trust an unknown future to a known God.
Forgiveness is an act of the will, and the will can function regardless of the temperature of the heart.
Every experience God gives us, every person He puts in our lives, is the perfect preparation for the future that only He can see.
Worrying is carrying tomorrow’s load with today’s strength – caring two days at once. It is moving into tomorrow ahead of time.
If you look at the world, you’ll be distressed. If you look within, you’ll be depressed. If you look at God, you’ll be at rest.
Hold everything in your hands lightly. Otherwise, it hurts when God pries your fingers open.
You can never learn that Christ is all you need, until Christ is all you have.
Is prayer your steering wheel or your spare tire?
Don’t bother to give God instructions; just report for duty.
When you are covered by His wings, it can get pretty dark.
One time when I was a little girl and very worried about something, my father came to comfort me. “Corrie,” he began gently, “when you and I go to Amsterdam, when do I give you your ticket?” I sniffed a few times, considering this. “Why, just before we get on the train,” I said. My father replied, “Exactly. And our wise Father in heaven knows when we’re going to need things, too. Don’t run out ahead of Him, Corrie. When the time comes that some of us will have to die, you will look into your heart and find the strength you need– just in time.”
———————————
HOPE
What are you hoping for? A better paying job? A future mate? Perfect children? A winning lottery ticket?
We use the term “hope” to refer to pipe dreams, wishful thinking, fantasies, and the like, but very few of us actually understand what true “hope” is. The American Heritage Dictionary defines hope as “a wish or desire supported by some confidence of its fulfillment.” Hope from a Biblical perspective is exactly that. It is a belief grounded in faith and based upon the promises of a God who never lies and who always keeps His word.
Romans 5:3-5 says, “We also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us because God has poured out His love in our hearts.” Hope enables people to keep going long after they think they can because it holds promise of better days and brighter horizons. Ecclesiastes 9:4 states, “Anyone who is among the living has hope–even a live dog is better off than a dead lion.” In other words, if you are still breathing, there is hope for you. No matter what you have done or what you are going through God promises hope is available to you because of three unchangeable truths from the Bible.
First, God is a God of second chances, forgiveness, and redemption. It is never too late to get right with the Lord because He is always ready to transform whatever you give Him into something usable. Psalm 103:10, 12 says, “He does not treat us as our sins deserve . . . as far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us.”
Secondly, God has the power to make all things new–even you. Lamentations 3:22-23,25 says, “His mercies never fail . . .They are new every morning . . . The Lord is good to those whose hope is in Him.” God offers you a new beginning every day. Take Him up on His offer.
Finally, God never withholds what is good from you, so you can have hope that He will provide what you need and sustain you through trials. Psalm 34:10 says, “Those who seek the Lord lack no good thing.” God always has your best interest in mind so you can trust that He will bring about what He has promised and that His plan will ultimately be what is best for your life.
The devil wants to keep you in bondage to fear and dread which lead to discouragement, despair, and depression. But the “God of hope wants to fill you with all joy and peace as you trust Him, so that you may overflow with hope” (Romans 15:13). When the Psalmist was distraught, he cried out, “Why are you downcast, O my soul? . . . Put your hope in God.”(Psalm 42:5). He knew the remedy for discouragement – look expectantly to the Lord for deliverance and trust that He is fully capable of bringing it to pass. May the hope of our Lord be with you today and remind you that in all things you are more than a conqueror through Christ Jesus! (Romans 8:37).
******************************************
Mark 5:36b — (Jesus said), “Do not fear, only believe.”
Psalm 37:34 — Hope in the Lord and keep his way. He will exalt you to inherit the land; when the wicked are destroyed, you will see it.
********************************************
Father in heaven, grant us the courage and faith to meet the days ahead in the comfort of a holy and certain hope, and in the joyful expectation of eternal life with those who trust You and who follow You as Lord of our lives on earth. Help us, we pray, in the midst of things we cannot understand, yet to believe and to trust that You are our Savior, especially in the most threatening chapters of our lives. AMEN.
Almighty God, gracious Father in Christ Jesus, smile upon us with your forgiving love, and start us anew on that road of life which brings peace to the heart and hope for tomorrow. Take us into your hands, and lead and guide us every hour of the day, for the sake of Jesus our Savior. Amen.