Author: Sally Matheny
“You are my hiding place and my shield; I hope in your word” (Psalm 119:114, ESV).
Every morning, Corrie’s father read the Bible to his Christian family. The family not only heard God’s Word, but strived to be doers of His Word.
Perhaps their greatest test came during WWII. While in their fifties, Corrie and her sister, Betsie, were imprisoned for hiding and assisting Jews. Ridiculed, starved, and beaten, they eventually ended up at Ravensbruck.
Upon arrival at this German death camp, Betsie whispered to her frightened sister, “Remember, there is no pit so deep that God’s love is not deeper still.”
God’s Word is a Treasure
Miraculously, the sisters were able to hide a Bible through numerous, meticulous inspections. If caught, the punishment would have been brutal.
“It is good for me that I was afflicted, that I might learn your statutes. The law of your mouth is better to me than thousands of gold and silver pieces” (Psalm 119:71-71).
Fearing further persecution, several prisoners turned away. But, many gathered to listen when the sisters held Bible studies at night. In the midst of their terribly dark world, they found comfort and hope.
“Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path” (Psalm 119:105).
No matter how uncomfortable we are, we are to act faithfully. God’s love letter is a treasure not to hoard for ourselves, but to share with others.
God’s Word is Our Strength
Note throughout Psalm 119, how the writer follows his expressions of suffering with reminders of his obedience and trust in God’s Word. (Psalm 119:23-24; 119:28; 119:50)
“Trouble and anguish have found me out, but your commandments are my delight” (Psalm 119:143).
Until we fully surrender to God, we will experience fear—of man, of the unknown, of losing something we love. Believing God’s truths shifts our current anxious thoughts to a courageous, eternal perspective.
God’s Word Reminds Us to Pray and Praise
When trouble abounds, there’s nothing wrong with asking for deliverance—the psalter of 119 did! But, just as he didn’t stop there, neither should we. We pray for strength and endurance.
We do not need to understand every reason behind every trial. God’s ways and thoughts are higher than ours. We simply ask for the ability to understand His Word accurately, the power to obey it, and trust in His sovereignty.
Also, as we pour out our troubles to God, let’s not forget who He is, and what wondrous things He has already done, and is doing. Let’s not reserve our praise for after the storms have passed, but also in the middle of them! (Psalm 119:62; Psalm 119:147-148; Psalm 118:171-172)
Recently, Pastor Dale DuBose, reminded us that sometimes God does give us more than we can handle. And, the world is watching.
“When we meditate on God’s sovereignty in light of our suffering, we come away with a God who is worth trusting, a God who strengthens us when we are tempted to despair. In any and every circumstance – we have CHRIST! And when the world sees our contentment in Jesus, rejoicing always in the Lord, this is the only apologetic we need for the problem of evil.”
Three days before Corrie ten Boom was set free from Ravensbruck, her beloved sister found freedom in heaven. Betsie’s last words to Corrie were: “We must tell them there is no pit so deep that God’s love cannot reach it.”