Hebrews 10:24 And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works:

I want to continue with The Hiding Place as a source of inspiration, instruction and blessing.  Today I want to focus on Corrie and her responses to the provocative situations that are recorded in her book.  All too often I think we relate more to her responses rather than to the responses Betsy had.  Betsy always seems to have an inside track on viewing things in such a redemptive way.  Corrie writes at one point after being stunned by Betsy’s response to an impossible situation, “Once again I had the feeling that this sister with whom I had spent all my life belonged somehow to another order of beings.”

Time and time again Corrie and Betsy were exposed to cruelty, violence and unspeakable horror.  Corrie struggled with all the human responses of fear, anger, hatred, resentment and wanting to strike back.  Then she would encounter Betsy’s responses and find herself provoked redemptively.  She struggled through the process of repentance and learning to embrace a response more consistent with her faith and the Lord she loved.

I am so blessed by Corrie. I cannot imagine facing the horrors she faced. But the thing that speaks so powerfully to me is how she continually embraced repentance after recognizing that her response was wrong.  The struggles she endured weren’t simple things.  They were gut wrenching, but her faith and the grace of God enabled her to overcome.  Her commitment to the Lord and her resolve to respond rightly shone brightly.

She rejected her sin and embraced Godliness.  She went through this process time and again.  Betsy continually showed her the way and Corrie followed it.  What examples they are for us.  Fortunately, Corrie was released from Ravensbruck due to a clerical error.  All the women her age were taken to the gas chambers one week after she was released.  It is not difficult at all to see God’s hand in that!

We must have our eyes opened to see the shortcomings inherent in our own responses to difficult trials.  Thank God for the people in our lives that He uses to help us in this regard! In my life, this person is most frequently my wife Donna and I cannot begin to express the gratitude that I have for her.  In the spirit of today’s verse, she is the most provocative person I know.

So often, Donna’s response to the Lord is richer and so convicting in comparison to my own.  My response might not be wrong; it’s just not as rich in passion for Jesus as hers. Her heart and love for Jesus provoke me!  I find myself repenting and seeking the Lord to have more of what she has.  How fortunate we are that Jesus enables us to recognize our need, repent quickly and embrace righteousness as our way of life.