Betsie and Corrie ten Boom are the main characters of a book titled “The Hiding Place.” They were living in Holland during World War II, and they sheltered Jews in their home.

Their kindness to the Jews was eventually discovered and they were both sent to Ravenbruck prison camp in Germany. Betsie met the same fate as many of her fellow prisoners. She died from a combination of lack of food, and lack of medical care after becoming ill. Corrie was released toward the end of the war as the result of a clerical error. Days after her release all the women of her age group who remained at the prison camp were executed.

Betsie saw her stay at the camp as an opportunity to minister to many people. She smuggled a Bible into the camp, and encouraged the other prisoners by reading it with them on a regular basis. She spent a lot of time praying for others in the camp.

One day one of the guards beat a young girl who was mentally disabled. Later when Betsie and Corrie were together Corrie asked Betsie if she though there was something they could do for those people. Corrie was referring to the mentally disabled girl and those like her. Betsie indicated that she prayed continually and felt they would indeed be able to do something for them. Betsie was referring to the guards.

The book inspired me. It is the story of two women of incredible faith. Miracles take place in the book. There is a bottle of medicine that is dispensed a drop at a time, and the drops simply keep coming long after the bottle should have been empty.

It is good for us to read the stories of people who have gone before us, withstood the worst cruelty the world has to offer, and still kept their faith in Jesus Christ. Betsie and Corrie ten Boom are two such people.

Toward the end of Betsie’s life, she had a vision of a house where people would be helped after the war. She thought God was giving her a glimpse of her future. She did not live to see the house, but she described her vision to her sister. Her sister did live to see that house. She helped many people who came to that house. Some of the people she helped were her former German prison guards.

If you have not already read the book, I hope that you will take an opportunity to read it sometime. I recommend reading books about some of the heroes in the faith who have gone before us. When we read their stories it strengthens our faith.

If you want your faith to grow stronger, reading a book about someone who has a strong faith helps. Linda could point you in the direction of some books like this one in the library. There are also stories of people with strong faith in the Bible.

There is a table that contains Bible reading guides in the narthex of the church. Feel free to take one and resolve to read the Bible from cover to cover in 2006.

I hope you never have to face a situation like Betsie and Corrie faced during World War II. I hope that hearing their story will strengthen your faith and inspire you to a deeper prayer life.

Thanks for listening and happy reading. May God bless you all.

Sincerely,

Pastor Birk