“In his Church & Culture blog, James Emery White shares this story: The barracks where Corrie ten Boom and her sister Betsy were kept in the Nazi concentration camp Ravensbruck were terribly overcrowded and flea-infested. They miraculously had been able to smuggle a Bible into the camp, and in that Bible they read that in all things they were to give thanks, and that God can use anything for good. Corrie’s sister Betsy decided this meant thanking God for the fleas. This was too much for Corrie, who said she could do no such thing. Betsy insisted, so Corrie gave in and prayed to God, thanking Him even for the fleas.
“During the next several months, a wonderful, but curious, thing happened. They found that the guards never entered their barracks. This meant the women were not assaulted. It also meant they were able to do the unthinkable, which was to hold open Bible studies and prayer meetings in the heart of a Nazi concentration camp. Through this, countless numbers of women came to faith in Christ. Only at the end did they discover why the guards had left them alone and would not enter their barracks. It was because of the fleas” (preaching.com).
It certainly can be difficult to be thankful for the “fleas” in life, but we are called to be thankful in everything. Hear the words of the apostle Paul to the Thessalonian church: “...in everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus” (1 Thess. 5:18; cf. also Eph. 5:20; Phil. 4:6). This doesn’t mean that we have to enjoy the circumstances that bring pain and suffering to our lives. But it does mean that we can try to be grateful to God for the good that He can bring out of those times of difficulty.
The next time the “fleas” of life materialize, try to focus less on the insects but more on the God Who is not limited by the circumstances and can carry us through the tears and pain.
God loves you!
Mike
No comments:
Post a Comment