(Proverbs 30:8) “Keep falsehood and lies far from me; give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread. Otherwise, I may have too much and disown you, saying, ‘Who is the Lord?’ or I may become poor and steal, and so dishonour the name of my God.”
Even amid the camp’s horrors, Corrie and Betsie sensed God’s presence. One freezing morning, as they were being marched out for roll call, they passed the outlines of barracks, the crematorium and gas chamber to their right, and watchtowers with armed guards to their left. In that valley of death, they prayed. Corrie later wrote, “We were three as we walked with the Lord and talked with him. Betsie spoke. Then I spoke. Then the Lord spoke. How? I do not know. But both of us understood.”
Don’t spend your energies judging them – Scripture confirms that only God can change hearts. So, don’t lose your heart, PRAY for them to change! It is NEVER too late for someone to turn around and come back to their senses …!
Some of us will read this, and our hearts will pound with joy, but if we don’t see our Heavenly Father as loving, forgiving, and gracious, then we will continually find ourselves trapped in a terrible cycle of: trying to please Him, failing, apologising, trying harder, failing, drifting away, and apologising again….
TESTIMONY: I was enjoying watching my grandchildren play in the swimming pool on a particularly hot day. My four-year-old grandson was leaping in with enthusiasm, splashing his older sisters and making quite the scene, as young boys do. The eldest, at eight, was practising her dives and backflips while the middle sister cheered her on from the shallow end, tentatively making sure her armbands were still in place.
It’s obvious that one of the greatest weapons used against us Christians is the constant message that we are ‘never quite good enough.’ But that accusation is a lie, and the only time it loses its power is when we welcome (and by definition allow) the ‘Spirit of full acceptance’ to move within us — enfolding us into God’s family.
When I first came to Christ and heard my very first preacher, I admit my first thoughts were far from kind. Old habits and long‑standing assumptions rose up in me: I measured him by his appearance, critiqued his mannerisms, judged his communicative skills and his ability to hold an audience. I was looking through the jaundiced lens of thirty‑plus years of life, all the disappointments, resentments and petty standards I’d accumulated — and I thought I knew better.
Whether it’s localised gang warfare, global tyrants shaking their white‑knuckled fists over the big red button, or weapon‑toting, brainwashed individuals killing anyone in their path, mankind is learning (the hard way) not to mistake God’s tolerance for His acceptance of how we choose to live in His world.
