Comfort the discouraged. Help the weak. Be patient with everyone. 15 Make sure no one repays a wrong with a wrong, but always pursue the good for each other and everyone else. Rejoice always. Pray continually. Give thanks in every situation because this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. 1 Thessalonians 5:15-18 CEB
Yesterday I heard an account by Corrie Ten Boom in her book The Hiding Place; when she and her sister Betsie were in Ravensbruck Concentration Camp. Conditions were horrible and unhealthy, their barracks was dilapidated and filthy, overcrowded and infested with bugs. But they were determined to make the best of it by drawing on the strength of God and His Word. They kept hidden a Bible around their necks and everyday they would find opportunity to have a worship time for strength and encouragement. They also prayed that God would protect them and shield them and keep them safe.
God not only was answering their prayers, but performing miracles. See they smuggled a small bottle of liquid vitamins in with them and the bottle never got empty, even though they shared the vitamins with as many women as wanted them. Because of it, many lives were saved. They noticed that although the guards were always lurking around, they never wanted to inspect their barracks, so they never found the vitamins or found them reading the Bible and worshiping the Lord. One day they found out why, it was because of the fleas! The guards didn’t want fleas, so they stayed out.
Corrie said the thing that was the hardest to deal with, was the very thing that was keeping them protected and safe. Sometimes blessings are easily seen, but then others are so well hidden that we can’t see them at all. But those are the ones that go beyond blessing us and make a way for us to be a blessing to others. Perhaps when there is something we think is going to destroy us, we should ask Holy Spirit to reveal how God’s using it to leave the greatest impact.
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