The Hiding Place by Corrie ten Boom

The Hiding Place
by Corrie ten Boom

I blogged about forgiveness two weeks ago and Kansas Bob sent me a link to his review of the book. Reading an excerpt of the book in his blog brought me to tears, and I thought it was time I read it.

I have a faint memory reading it in my youth, but when I read it these few days, I did not remember anything from it.

It is an excellent book, and I'm going to include it in my 10 most influential book list except that I would first need to remove one title from the list.

The book taught me the never ending wonder of God. Just when you think you're at the end of the rope, you will find him there. His power is inexhaustible. You only need to rely and depend on him, fully.

I also learnt about forgiveness. In the bigger scale of life, the people who have wronged me cannot compare to God's everlasting love.

These are the few portions where I've highlighted for keeps:

...our wise Father in heaven knows when we’re going to need things, too. Don’t run out ahead of Him, Corrie. When the time comes that some of us will have to die, you will look into your heart and find the strength you need—just in time.”

Happiness isn’t something that depends on our surroundings, Corrie. It’s something we make inside ourselves.

Dear Jesus, I thank You that we must come with empty hands. I thank You that You have done all—all—on the cross, and that all we need in life or death is to be sure of this.

Whatever bravery or skill I had ever shown were gifts of God—sheer loans from Him of the talent needed to do a job.

...the key to healing turned out to be the same. Each had a hurt he had to forgive.

And so I discovered that it is not on our forgiveness any more than on our goodness that the world’s healing hinges, but on His. When He tells us to love our enemies, He gives, along with the command, the love itself...It took a lot of love.

pearlie