Weekly Newsletter
Pastor David’s Weekly Devotional
Corrie ten Boom, whose family hid Jews from the Nazis during WWII, once said, “When the train goes through a tunnel and the world gets dark, do you jump out? Of course not, you sit still and trust the engineer to get you through.” This commonsense statement takes on a greater meaning when you realize that Corrie experienced firsthand horrifying pain, fear and loss. For when the Nazis discovered “the hiding place” the ten Booms were arrested and all but Corrie were killed. Undoubtedly, Corrie ten Boom’s painful experiences are as incredibly unique as they are horrific. Most of us will never know the degree and depth of personal suffering that she endured. But her steadfast faith in Christ – in the face of much pain and great trials – ought to be an inspiration to us all.
It is relatively easy to encourage someone else to have faith when they are going through a difficult trial, but it is an altogether different matter when you are the person experiencing a difficult trial. That is because it is much more difficult to see your way through a storm while you are directly in the midst of it. And, like the quintessential arm-chair-quarterback, observing another person enduring a trying experience can leave us with a bit of an overly-simplistic perspective. In fact, simply telling someone to “trust Jesus” in the midst of their pain and suffering can sound like some trite Christian cliché.
However, this is exactly what we are to say and exactly what we are to do: trust Jesus! In all reality, while it is certainly not terribly easy, it’s not terribly complicated either. The Bible embraces this straightforward tone as it over-and-over again instructs and exhorts all believers to trust Jesus. Here are just a few examples:
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths” (Proverbs 3:5-6).
“Immediately Jesus reached out His hand and caught him. ‘You of little faith,’ He said, ‘why did you doubt?’” (Matthew 14:31).
“Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider Him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart” (Hebrews 12:2-3).
Essentially, faith is a simple matter of trust. Ironically, our trust tends to weaken or wane as the difficult circumstances surrounding us grow or intensify. But just as it is absurd to think that anyone would jump out of a moving train as it is going through a tunnel, so it is even more absurd that anyone would abandon their faith in God at a point when their world grows dark with trials and sufferings. Regrettably, we all-too-often do. Not rational, but unfortunately realistic.
This again is where people like Corrie ten Boom can encourage us to trust Jesus – no matter what difficult circumstance or painful trial we may be experiencing. Safe on the other side of her incredible sufferings, she summed up her triumphant faith in Christ with these encouraging words: “Look within and be depressed; look without and be distressed; look at Jesus and be at rest.”
Together in and for Christ,
Pastor David
Scripture Readings for the Week (Monday – Sunday ~ Week #33):
Numbers 1-4; 1 Chronicles 5-9; Psalms 96-98; Proverbs 17-18; Daniel 7-12; John 5-6; 1 Timothy 1-3
Recommended Reading:
“The Hiding Place” by Corrie ten Boom
Corrie ten Boom, whose family hid Jews from the Nazis during WWII, once said, “When the train goes through a tunnel and the world gets dark, do you jump out? Of course not, you sit still and trust the engineer to get you through.” This commonsense statement takes on a greater meaning when you realize that Corrie experienced firsthand horrifying pain, fear and loss. For when the Nazis discovered “the hiding place” the ten Booms were arrested and all but Corrie were killed. Undoubtedly, Corrie ten Boom’s painful experiences are as incredibly unique as they are horrific. Most of us will never know the degree and depth of personal suffering that she endured. But her steadfast faith in Christ – in the face of much pain and great trials – ought to be an inspiration to us all.
It is relatively easy to encourage someone else to have faith when they are going through a difficult trial, but it is an altogether different matter when you are the person experiencing a difficult trial. That is because it is much more difficult to see your way through a storm while you are directly in the midst of it. And, like the quintessential arm-chair-quarterback, observing another person enduring a trying experience can leave us with a bit of an overly-simplistic perspective. In fact, simply telling someone to “trust Jesus” in the midst of their pain and suffering can sound like some trite Christian cliché.
However, this is exactly what we are to say and exactly what we are to do: trust Jesus! In all reality, while it is certainly not terribly easy, it’s not terribly complicated either. The Bible embraces this straightforward tone as it over-and-over again instructs and exhorts all believers to trust Jesus. Here are just a few examples:
“Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise Him, my Savior and my God” (Psalm 42:11).
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths” (Proverbs 3:5-6).
“Immediately Jesus reached out His hand and caught him. ‘You of little faith,’ He said, ‘why did you doubt?’” (Matthew 14:31).
“Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider Him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart” (Hebrews 12:2-3).
Essentially, faith is a simple matter of trust. Ironically, our trust tends to weaken or wane as the difficult circumstances surrounding us grow or intensify. But just as it is absurd to think that anyone would jump out of a moving train as it is going through a tunnel, so it is even more absurd that anyone would abandon their faith in God at a point when their world grows dark with trials and sufferings. Regrettably, we all-too-often do. Not rational, but unfortunately realistic.
This again is where people like Corrie ten Boom can encourage us to trust Jesus – no matter what difficult circumstance or painful trial we may be experiencing. Safe on the other side of her incredible sufferings, she summed up her triumphant faith in Christ with these encouraging words: “Look within and be depressed; look without and be distressed; look at Jesus and be at rest.”
Together in and for Christ,
Pastor David
Scripture Readings for the Week (Monday – Sunday ~ Week #33):
Numbers 1-4; 1 Chronicles 5-9; Psalms 96-98; Proverbs 17-18; Daniel 7-12; John 5-6; 1 Timothy 1-3
Recommended Reading:
“The Hiding Place” by Corrie ten Boom
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