Corrie ten Boom (1892-1983)
READ: Philippians 3:1 – 4:1
Corrie ten Boom has been honoured by the nation of Israel as one of the Righteous Among the Nations – a non-Jew who risked his/her life to save Jews during the Holocaust. Corrie ten Boom was born and raised in Holland. Her family could have avoided the mess of the Holocaust; like so many Europeans, they could have turned a blind eye to Hitler’s lawlessness in exchange for safety and security, but they chose to obey God over man. Corrie’s family were Christians. As an avid reader of the Old Testament, Corrie’s dad embraced the Jewish people as God’s chosen and so when Hitler’s plan to exterminate the Jews became evident, he couldn’t help but take a stand. The family covertly built a secret room behind Corrie’s bedroom wall – a space 30 inches deep that often held up to seven Jewish escapees at a time. While working in her father’s watch shop, Corrie became a networker, finding other families who were willing to risk their lives to save God’s people. It is estimated that 800 Jews were protected due to the work of the ten Booms and other families.
But the ten Boom family was sold out to the authorities, and the gestapo raided their house on February 28, 1944. Everyone present in the house was arrested, except for the six people hiding in the secret room who were never discovered. Eventually all were released but Corrie, her sister Betsie, and her father. These three were imprisoned. Corrie’s father died within 10 days of incarceration while she and Betsie went on to spend ten months in the inhumanity of Hitler’s concentration camps. But as terrible as life was, they continued to cling to God and spent their time sharing the love of Christ with their fellow inmates. Corrie was released in December 1944, just weeks after her sister died in Ravensbruck Concentration Camp.
As a Holocaust survivor, Corrie’s experiences had a profound impact on her. They taught her that “there is no pit so deep that God's love is not deeper still”. After she was reunited with her surviving family members, Corrie ten Boom embarked on a 32-year worldwide ministry to over 60 countries where she testified to thousands about the love of Jesus Christ. After one speaking engagement where she preached a message on forgiveness, she was met face-to-face with one of the cruelest Nazi guards she had known from Ravensbruck. He was so blessed by her message and stretched out his hand to shake hers. She was flooded with memories and felt no love, but when she finally grasped his hand in hers, she was filled with such an overwhelming sense of God’s love for the man. This example shows the deep dependence Corrie had on her Saviour, and the deep humility she had learned from Him. A righteous one who lived her life by faith, she walked in obedience to her Lord right up to the cross. She shared in the suffering of Christ and will certainly share in His resurrection.
JOURNALING AND PRAYER
1. Where do you feel weak in your faith?
2. Ask God how He wants to grow your faith this summer. What does He want to do in your heart?
3. Thank God for what He has shown you, and pray that it would become a reality in your life.
