Monday, June 4, 2012

Famous Quotes by Corrie Ten Boom



I first heard the story of Corrie Ten Boom when I was a child. My mother read The Watchmaker's Daughter to me, and I will never forget the story of this courageous woman. Corrie survived a Nazi concentration camp, although sadly, her sister did not. Corrie's story of trusting God inspite of the most horrific conditions she had to endure has inspired me throughout my life. She emerged from such a tragedy, not with a broken, bitter spirit, but with a forgiving heart and a deeper faith and trust in the God who had sustained her the entire time.

I find many of Corrie's quotes to be so insightful of what it means to forgive even when great harm has been done, to truly trust in the Lord's goodness, and to live a Spirit-filled life. The following are some of her quotes that are my personal favorites:

* “Worry does not empty tomorrow of its sorrow, it empties today of its strength.”

* “Never be afraid to trust an unknown future to a known God.”

* “This is what the past is for! Every experience God gives us, every person He puts in our lives is the perfect preparation for the future that only He can see.”

* “If you look at the world, you'll be distressed. If you look within, you'll be depressed. If you look at God you'll be at rest.”

* “Forgiveness is an act of the will, and the will can function regardless of the temperature of the heart.”

* “Any concern too small to be turned into a prayer is too small to be made into a burden.”

* “Trying to do the Lord's work in your own strength is the most confusing, exhausting, and tedious of all work. But when you are filled with the Holy Spirit, then the ministry of Jesus just flows out of you.”

* “Dear Jesus...how foolish of me to have called for human help when You are here.”

* “When we are powerless to do a thing, it is a great joy that we can come and step inside the ability of Jesus.”

* “When I try, I fail. When I trust, He succeeds.”

* “Forgiveness is the key that unlocks the door of resentment and the handcuffs of hatred. It is a power that breaks the chains of bitterness and the shackles of selfishness.”

* “There are no 'ifs' in God's Kingdom. His timing is perfect. His will is our hiding place. Lord Jesus, keep me in Your will! Don't let me go mad by poking about outside it.”

* “Today I know that such memories are the key not to the past, but to the future. I know that the experiences of our lives, when we let God use them, become the mysterious and perfect preparation for the work He will give us to do. ”

* “.....joy runs deeper than despair.”

* “Worry is a cycle of inefficient thoughts whirling around a center of fear.”