Transcription
Years ago, I read a book called The Hiding Place to my kids, uh, in our living room. It's about Corey Tinboom and her sister Betsy, who during World War II, they were hiding Jews in their house, uh, because of their, uh, Christian convictions and [music] they were protecting them from the Nazis.
In that book, Corey Tinboom, she tells a story about eventually their family gets arrested, they get put in a concentration camp, and then they get moved from one concentration camp to another one, and they get put in a new cell in this second concentration camp. And when they try to go to sleep, they realize they can't sleep because the new cell block 28 is infested with fleas. It's, it's rough. And that becomes Cory's breaking point. She tells her older sister Betsy like, "I can't, I can't do this anymore. I, I can't do."
And her older sister Betsy, who ended up dying in a concentration camp, she records it saying, "Corey, I, I know what to do. I read it in my Bible last night. 1 Thessalonians 5 tells us to rejoice always, pray without ceasing, and give thanks in all circumstances." And so, she said, "Corey, let's pause right now [music] and give thanks. Let's give thanks for the guards and for the fact that we're in here with all these women and we'll be able to tell them about Jesus. And let's give thanks for these beds that we're in." And then she said, "And, and, and Corey, let's, let's give thanks for the fleas." And Corey was like, "Okay, I got a breaking point. You know, I can give thanks for everything. I can't give thanks for the fleas." And she said, "No, no, Corey. It said to give thanks in all circumstances. Let's, let's give thanks for the fleas." And so they did.
Well, over the next few months, Corey and her sister Betsy, they began a Bible study in cell block 28. And it grew and it grew until they were gathering with all these people in cell block 28 to have worship services, which were illegal in Nazi concentration camps. And they always wondered like, man, why are we able to do this? And guards never come in and stop our worship services. And they never found out the answer to that question until they were released from the concentration camp. And they asked one of the guards, and he told them that the guards wouldn't go in cell block 28 for one reason: the fleas. The fleas.
And listen, the thing that they most wanted God to take away was the thing that God used to lead the entire cell block to Christ. Can I listen? Can I say this to you? You're going through some things and you're afraid. Can I tell you something? God is for you. God is with you. And God is working in all circumstances for the good of those who love him and are called according to his purpose. All circumstances.