I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go;
    I will counsel you with my loving eye on you.

• Psalm 32:8

Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

• Romans 12:1-2

“The Lord’s voice replied even louder than my pounding heart. A great blessing is awaiting, a work that will give joy to the angels.
“Perhaps I am leaving this earth to go to heaven, I thought. Surely that will give joy to the angels. I looked at the steps towering above me, almost disappearing into the clouds. If God said the work would give joy to the angels, then I had to go. I trudged up the long flight of stairs, one nurse in front of me, the other behind me.
“We finally reached the apartment on the tenth floor, and on entering, found the room prepared with a simple lunch. Serving the lunch were the mother and father of one of the girls. I knew I could only stay for a short time, but God had promised a blessing. So without delay, I started asking questions. ‘Tell me,’ I asked the mother, ‘was it long ago that you gave your life to Jesus?’
” ‘I’ve never done such a thing,’ she said.
“At that, my excitement peaked. I immediately told her about Jesus and explained the Scriptures about salvation. She listened intently. Before long, she was excited to pray with me and give her heart to the Lord.”

• Corrie ten Boom, God is my Hiding Place

“I can obey quickly even if I do not understand every detail.  Following Jesus is always worth it.”

• Corrie ten Boom, Highlighted Quote

Boilerplate

In this new mini-series, I will be looking at a devotion that is said to be written by Corrie ten Boom.  Really, this devotion is like several that I had read.  They come from the writings of that person.  Thus, the prayers at the end may be the editor’s addition to what Corrie ten Boom actually wrote.

Each of these posts will include the suggested verses to read, a quote from the writing that came from a Corrie ten Boom book (five in all according to the copyright page, but no chapter in the book is given the specific book of origin).  I will also include the highlighted quote, similar to an internet quotation, and I will end with the quoted prayer for that devotion.

Discussion

I think I used this story before when going through Tramp for the Lord.  Tante Corrie was in her eighties.  She had been on her feet all day, speaking and preaching.  She focused on her audience being a living sacrifice for the Lord.

Afterwards, she was tired and all she wanted to do was get off her feet and rest.

But then two young nurses asked her out for a cup of tea.  That would not be much of a problem, but then, the apartment building was a considerable walk.  When they arrived, she learned that the two nurses lived on the tenth floor, without an elevator.  What makes me think this might not be the same story is that I thought it was a trip up the stairs to see someone in a Communist country, where this story was in Copenhagen, Denmark.

On the trip up the stairs, Tante Corrie stopped to pray.  She did not think she could make it, but what message that she got from God in her prayers was that this trip would be worth the effort.

Then, she found that her host and hostess were parents of one of the nurses.  Neither of them had accepted Jesus as their Savior, and both did so after Tante Corrie explained the Gospel to them.

Tante Corrie’s prayers were answered.  The trip up ten flights of stairs was worth it.  The nurse’s prayers were answered in that her parents were saved and part of God’s kingdom.

And the angels sang.

When we preach on such topics as making your life a living sacrifice, be prepared for God to ask you to put your money where your mouth is.

How could Tante Corrie tell the nurses, “I meant what I said for you, but I am in my eighties, and I rarely climb a flight of stairs.  I will pray for you though.”  No, she could not say that.

There are so many people who talk a good talk, but do they put that talk into practice?

Closing Prayer

“Father, my heart is often willing, but my flesh usually fights for comfort, and my mind argues for understanding. I’m sorry for the times I have catered to my laziness and focused on the inconvenience more than the joy of serving You. I don’t need to understand the how’s and why‘s or all of the explicit details, I simply need to follow Your leading. Like Jesus, I must follow what You’ve placed in my heart to do.”

• Corrie ten Boom, God is my Hiding Place (prayer for Day 34, Following His Lead)

Soli Deo Gloria.  Only to God be the Glory.