"If you look at the world, you'll be distressed. If you look within, you'll
be depressed. But if you look at Christ, you'll be at rest."
What better person to pen these words than Corrie ten Boom since she was a
survivor of World War II Nazi death camps. Her family helped many Jews escape
Nazi Germany, but on February 28, 1944, they were all arrested for their crimes
and shipped off to Scheveningen prison. Two of her family members-along with a
nephew, were released immediately. One died 10 days later. Corrie and a
remaining sister were shipped to another prison camp and then another where
Corrie's sister died on December 28, 1944. Before dying, she related to Corrie,
"There is no pit so deep that He [God] is not deeper still." Twelve days later,
Corrie was released.
Corrie ten Boom's pain must have seemed everlasting and unbearable. Paul endured
his share as well yet wrote, "For our present troubles are small and won't last
very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will
last forever!" (II Corinthians 4:17 NLT)
Pain is no respecter of persons. We all endure it. Some for shorter periods of
time. Others seem to be afflicted their entire life with physical pain. And
still others seem never to escape emotional battles and brokenness.
I've learned to accept painful episodes-regardless of their nature, as coming
from God. Though he doesn't send incidents that conflict with his nature, he at
least allows them and uses them in some way for my good. My greatest life
lessons have arrived through unpleasant affairs.
And as Paul relates, pain-whether spiritual, emotional, or physical, is
temporary. It may appear to last forever, but God controls its duration. When I
compare occurrences of tenderness with the joy and bliss of heaven, it's much
easier to endure.
How are you responding to your outbreaks of pain?
Prayer: Thank You merciful God for guiding us through our chapters of pain and
also for giving us the assurance that when compared with eternity they will be
light and temporary.
Martin Wiles
Hodges,
South Carolina, USA
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