One of my favorite lessons in the Hiding Place is when Betsie determines to thank God in obedience to 1 Thessalonians 5:18 - give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you..
They have just arrived at a concentration camp in the heart of Germany. Conditions are brutal. If it were me, I might choose to forget that 1 Thess. 5:18 existed and go with an impreccatory Psalm, calling down divine fire on my enemies. But they offer thanksgiving, and at first they really do find legitimate things to be grateful for--they are together and they have a Bible. Under the circumstances, those things are miraculous.
Then Betsie thanks God for the fleas in the dorm. Can you imagine? Fleas were no more appealing then than they are today. And for months they suffer because of the fleas, until Betsie discovers that those disgusting fleas are the sole reason why she can hold a Bible study undisturbed. No guard would set foot in the dorm because of the fleas. Suddenly Corrie finds that she too, with a whole heart, can thank God for the fleas. God didn't change the fleas; he changed her heart to see the fleas as God's servants divinely placed to bring about Gospel-good.
God is sovereign over the big things. He's also sovereign over the tiny little things. In any situation, his word remains unchanged: rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
Friday, August 13, 2010
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Thanking God for fleas? Or being denied something you love? Or being given a task you are intimidated by? Or being asked to work with something you can't stand/are offended by? Thanking God for these things? Really? Betsie did. Before she knew why God put the fleas there, she trusted that all things, fleas included, were under His control and part of His plan. I wish I was more like Betsie, but God gives grace to us Corrie types too. Sometimes, in His kindness, He'll reveal the why of what He's doing, show us how He's working and give us the opportunity to marvel at the way He keeps His promise to work all things together for the good of those who love Him.
I am grateful for the moments of revelation and hope that I'll remember them the next time God gives me fleas.
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