“It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.” - Lamentations 3:22-23
I’ve read several books about Corrie Ten Boom, a Dutch watchmaker’s daughter who was sent to Ravensbrück concentration camp after secretly housing Jews and helping them escape the Nazi regime.
Corrie lost so much. Death was her unwanted, ever-faithful companion, taking so many people she loved. She knew what it meant to go hungry, to face disease, and to witness the most inhumane cruelties. She was a modern-day Job.
Yet, she is known for publicly forgiving one of Ravensbrücke’s most heinous guards. She’s known for using her cruel experience in a concentration camp to travel the world to preach the gospel. She took Genesis 50:20 to heart: “You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives” (NIV).
I am impossible to be around if I simply miss a meal—I’m grouchy, impatient, and anything but God-minded. I can’t imagine how someone faced starvation, torture, and dehumanizing abuse for such a long time and saw it as a platform for kindness and compassion.
But isn’t that the point of the gospel of Christ? That in His sacrificial love, the impossible light of heaven penetrates this dark world? What would the gospel be if it weren’t practically too good to be true? Would we need inhuman faith if the reward weren’t radically outside our understanding? How adventurous and heroic it must be to turn a fallen world on its head, all for good!
For God to be God, He can’t think or operate like us—and hallelujah for that! In a world where we self-destruct, using our own hands to taint the world, God takes what’s left of our ruins and refines it as gold.
When I want to complain about my life, whether it’s a hard day as a mama, a financial strain, a health concern, or anything else, I consider people like Corrie. I think of her plight and how it catalyzed her faith. It set her free from darkness ever stealing her God-given light. It made her faith immortal so that even physical death on this earth was but a soft glow, lighting the way home.
This same perspective is ours too, but we must choose to accept it. We must deny our human instincts to safeguard what is finite, so that eternity can root in our hearts. Only then are we free to love without keeping score. Only then are we free to love without fear.
Only then does light defeat the dark.
We, my fellow believers, have been given the Light of life, and in forsaking our fears and embracing His promise of eternal life, we find that even the fading light of an earthly day is but a promise of renewed mercies, joy, and faithfulness.
It’s so easy to skim through John 8:23, its popularity making us desensitized to its glory, but consider its powerful promises: “Again, Jesus spoke to them, saying, ‘I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life’” (ESV).
This dark world is not only upheld but redeemed through Christ. He has come to this weary earth, bringing light to us all. This light isn’t just a dim hope to survive. It’s the light that brings life that never ends.
Let’s pray ...
Father,
In a world where we see so much heart and experience so much heaviness, remind us that your light is here. We have access to you, the God of all healing and restoration, and through your goodness, you’ve allowed us to house your light so we can share it with others. When we feel hope is out of reach, let us boldly ask how we can use your Spirit’s guidance and encouragement to pierce the darkness and live in joy that is only possible through your saving power.
Thank you for your mercy and grace that sustain us, and thank you for never leaving us in the dark. Darkness will never win. We have victory over the fear and pain it threatens. Thank you for making us, sinners, victorious. Truly, as the old hymn says, “There is wonder-working power in the blood of the Lamb.”
In your glorious, almighty name we pray, God.
Amen.
What truth from today’s devotional is God using to encourage your heart? Share your reflection and join our conversation in the iBelieve Truth Devotional Forum.
Photo Credit: © Unsplash/Riccardo Mion
Related Resource: How Faith Finds Us When Life Takes a Detour
Joining us this week is worship leader turned viral comedian Heather Land. After growing up in the shadow of her mother’s decades-long addiction, Heather reflects on how this painful season—alongside her unexpected shift from the worship stage to the world of comedy—taught her that while our paths may take unforeseen turns, our core calling to encourage and uplift others remains constant.
Later in the episode, we’ll hear from Rachel Kessler, an Episcopal priest and Kenyon College chaplain who completed her PhD in medieval studies at the University of Toronto before pivoting to seminary after hitting academic burnout, then built a following as the “Nerdy Priest” on TikTok after a student secretly downloaded the app on her phone.
If you like what you hear, be sure to follow Jesus Calling on Apple or Spotify so you never miss an episode!
Originally published Friday, 28 August 2026.
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