The Brightness Of God’s Promises

Remember your promise to me; it is my only hope. Your promise revives me; it comforts me in all my troubles.

Psalm 119:49-50

One day in the darkness of Ravensbrück concentration camp, Corrie ten Boom heard that a large group of Dutch young people at the camp were being put on a train and sent away that night. People whispered about where they were being sent: was it to a factory, a different concentration camp, or even to their deaths? As Corrie prayed for the young people, God showed her how to help.

That night she crawled out the window of the bathroom and hid in the shadows where the prisoners might pass. All was silent except for the sounds of an approaching guard’s boot crunching on gravel and low moans from the barracks. Knowing she’d be brutally killed if she was discovered, she knelt in the dark and asked God to give her a personal word that would comfort each person being transported.

As they passed by her, Corrie whispered one of God’s promises to every one of the 250 young people: “Jesus is Victor.” “Fear not; only believe.” “Underneath are the everlasting arms.” The promises were personal and distinct, and as she spoke them, she prayed God would encourage and revive the hearts of those who heard them. Just as she and her sister Betsie had experienced, they could count on God’s promises. Even in the darkest of places, his promises would shine brightly and give hope, because in the Bible there are no broken promises from God.

After the war, Corrie met one of those young people, who told her that all but one of the 250 prisoners transported that night survived. He described how God had powerfully used the promises she spoke to bring them peace in the trials, bombing, and danger they later faced. They discovered, as you and I can each day, that God’s Word will be our light in the darkness and that through his promises we can experience the miracle of his presence.

Lord, write your promises on my heart, not only to encourage me but also so that I might share them with others.

God’s promises are like the stars; the darker the night, the brighter they shine.

David Nicholas(1934–2011), American pastor