The Joy of Total Surrender — Corrie Ten Boom

Lessons from a Difficult Class of Life

I'm glad that I may tell you a little bit of what I've learned in a very difficult class of life school.

When you are in a difficult class, you learn much. And I was during the last world war in Holland, in prison, in three prisons, because my family, my friends and I had saved Jewish people. If you like to know more about that time, you can, I will leave some books of mine in the bookstore.

You can read in prisoner and yet what I've experienced during the war. And there my sister once said to me when we were together in Ravensbruck, a huge concentration camp in Germany where 97 ,000 women were killed or died.

My sister said, when we are back to our home country, we must not stay there, we must travel over the world. We know from experience that Jesus' light is stronger than the deepest darkness. And my sister died three days later.

A week later, I was set free by a blunder of men and a miracle of God, one week before they killed all the women of my age in the gas chamber. So you understand that my life didn't belong anymore to myself.

And so I became a tramp for the Lord and so I came here in your school and I'm very happy that we may together listen to what the Holy Spirit has to tell us. Pray for me that I may not stand in the way and even when I tell of my own experiences that I may be hidden behind the cross, we want to see Jesus.

I know when you pray in the time that I speak, we will have a good time together. Now I read for you Romans 12, 1 and 2 in the translation of Phillips, because that is an English that even a Dutch can understand.

With eyes wide open to the mercies of God, I beg you, my brothers, as an act of intelligent worship, to give him your bodies as a living sacrifice, consecrated to him and acceptable by him. Don't let the world around you squeeze you into its own mold, but let God remold your minds from within so that you may prove in practice that a plan of God for you is good, meets all his demands and moves towards the goal of true maturity.

Surrendering in the Face of Suffering

When I was in the concentration camp with my sister Betsy, once we had to go to a building where they stripped us of all our clothing. They gave us only a thin dress and it was a very cold climate there.

Betsy, my sister, said, I cannot go there. This is too bad. I will die of cold when I have only a thin dress. I tried to help her and I said, there are no second causes. If God allows that the enemy even takes away our warm clothing, mustn't we surrender our will?

And after all, we Christians are in training for higher service. An athlete does not complain when the training is hard. He thinks of the future. And then I tried to comfort her with text like, the suffering of this time is not worthy to be compared with the common glory.

Then I heard Betsy pray this prayer, Lord Jesus, make me willing to be made willing to surrender all, even my warm clothing. And that was it. Now her surrender, her total surrender was a reality, but not by her own trying and her own striving, but Jesus made her willing.

And a moment later, she said, now I can go. And in my book, you can read how I could smuggle all our warm clothing. I could hide it in a corner of a room and when we came out, I gave it to Betsy. And we haven't, she has not been without warm clothing as long as she was alive.

A Surrendered Life for Kingdom Service

I believe that a Christian, especially in this time, stands on the front line of the battle. And you, all of you, if I understand it, you have come here to be trained to work in God's kingdom as missionaries or evangelists or pastors.

And then it is very important that we have a surrendered life. For one who is standing in the front line of a battle is a strategic point for the enemy. Some time ago, I spoke in a prison in New Zealand.

I like to work in prisons. I know how it feels to be behind a door that you can open only from outside. And I spoke to these fellows about the word of Jesus, like the Father has sent me, so I send you.

You are the light of the world, the salt of the earth. Can you say that to criminals? Must you say you are the darkness of the world? A prisoner once told me that they had ten Sundays after each other, every Sunday, a different speaker in the chapel, and they all had spoken about a prodigal son.

That's good for criminals, don't you think? Say, decent sinner, have you never been a prodigal son? Perhaps it is high time. I believe there's not such a very great difference between the sinners in the prisons and outside.

And so I am glad to tell these people you are the light of the world. I can tell you, I hope to see all of you in heaven, and then I hope to introduce you to the criminals who are still serving their term, and whom the Lord has touched and made them real ambassadors for him.

In Mexico, I was in a prison and there was a man who had a sentence of 18 years. He must have done a great crime. And he had brought to the Lord half of his fellow prisoners. One of the criminals in New Zealand thanked me afterwards, and then he said, turned to his fellow prisoners, he said, fellows, this morning I was reading in the Bible about three murderers.

One murderer was Moses. One David. One Paul. Were they murderers? We know them as heroes of God, but he was right. All three were, has been murderers. And he said, fellows, there's hope for you and me.

What can God do with a total surrendered murderer? And I say to you, decent sinners, there's hope for you and me. What can God do with your life when you stop your compromise and you surrender totally?

Laying Everything on the Altar

Once I heard a talk of Oswald Smith. And he asked us, did you lay all on the altar? And he himself took four books. And he said, I did. I have said, Lord, here is my time. I surrender it. And here is my money.

And here is my family. And here is my house. I sacrifice all. I lay it all on the altar. My time, yes, but I've ordered a hotel for my vacation. And these two weeks, I keep for myself. Then not my time.

And one book went back. My money, yes, it is all the lodge. But that money for that hotel, I keep for myself. Then not my money. And the second book went back. My house, oh, yes. We had a beautiful dedication service when we came in.

But my sister is ill. And she has six naughty boys. And I can't invite these boys for my house is pick and span. And they will make it dirty. Then not my house. And the third book went back. My family, oh, yes, I surrender them all to the Lord.

But my oldest daughter will be a missionary. I can't allow her that. We have a big family. She must help her mother. Then not my family. And the fourth book went back. The altar is empty. I left that meeting hall.

And I had to talk with my Heavenly Father. And I said, Father, is the altar empty? And Father said, yes. And I took my life there. And I laid it all on the altar again. It was not the first time. But there is not such a thing as a once-for-all being surrendered.

George Inwood says, it is a moment-by-moment business. A moment-by-moment bringing your sins to the Lord. A moment-by-moment being cleansed. A moment-by-moment surrender and being filled with the Holy Spirit.

Do you think I didn't get vacation? Sure. If you surrender, you will have a vacation. God takes care for His children. And perhaps you get a more beautiful hotel than you had ordered. But in that hotel, you will be used to save souls for eternity.

Casting Our Sorrows on the Lord

What does surrender mean? Surrender means surrender your worries, your sorrows. When I was in the concentration camp, I knew why my sister and I had to be there. We were used by God to save people for eternity.

People who had never heard of Jesus and could not hear of Him afterwards. God used Betsy and me to tell about Him. And that was worthwhile. All our suffering, even Betsy's death. But I could not understand the suffering of the people around me.

And one morning, it was so that I could hardly bear when I saw their 800 newcomers. Oh, what a terrible suffering was awaiting these poor women. And then I opened my Bible and I read Isaiah 53, where the prophet sees Jesus at the cross.

And he said, surely He has carried our sorrows. And then I understood when Jesus said, it is finished. He had not only carried our sins, but also our sorrows. And that's why we are not called to be burden bearers.

We are called to be cross bearers, yes, and light bearers. But our burdens we must cast on the Lord. And sometimes I had a heavy case full of burdens and sorrows. And then I prayed. And that morning, really, I prayed.

And I said, Lord, here are these poor newcomers. Oh, Lord, let soon come an end at this terrible war and give us peace on earth. And have mercy upon these poor women, Lord. And then I brought Berlin. Although Berlin was 15 miles away, often we saw the sky red by the flames.

Berlin was bombed. Oh, what a suffering for every creature in such a town. The children, the old people, the sick, everyone. And every night, all the cities in Germany were bombed. And then I brought my homeland, Holland, where the people had to suffer so terribly under the oppression of the Nazis, the Germans.

And I said, Lord, let the liberation come soon, that we will have a normal and happy life again in my homeland. And then I brought Betsy, my sister, who was far too frail to be a prisoner. And I said, Lord, have mercy upon her.

And so I went on and on, and I brought all my sorrows to the Lord till my whole case was empty. And then I said, Amen. That was praying. That was good. But what I did after, my Amen was not good. I put all my burdens again into my bag.

And believe it or not, it was heavier after my prayer than before, but that's not praying. You laugh. Now, may I ask you a question? What did you do this morning? Did you bring all your sorrows to the Lord?

That was good, but how have you traveled today? Did you tell the Lord about these trivial things of today? Don't forget, you belong to the Lord lock, stock and barrel. That means that you may pray for everything.

That's good that you prayed for everything, for there's nothing too great for God's power and nothing too small for his love. But what did you do since this morning? Had you an empty case? If not, ask the Holy Spirit to teach you how to pray.

Surrendering Our Blunders to Grace

Surrender means surrender your blunders. How do you feel after you have blundered? I can hate myself. How in the world could I, Corrie Ten Boom, be so stupid? It's pride. But I have learned that you must surrender your blunders, and you can never know what God does with it.

There was a weaver school, and there came a visitor, and he asked the student, say, what do you do? You make such beautiful patterns, but what must you do when you make a mistake? Must you cut it out, or must you start from the beginning?

The student said, no, our teacher is such a great artist that when we make a mistake, he uses that mistake to improve the beauty of the pattern. That's what Jesus does. That's grace. That is what we must do with our blunders, and you can never know what the Lord does.

And now I see that you do not all understand or agree with me. I will make it very practical. I was for the first time in Japan. Now I had the difficulty that all these people had about the same faces, the same flat faces.

Perhaps I could find six different faces, but the rest was all the same. There I saw Mr. Shakia. There I saw three Mr. Shakia. That was difficult. And once I had a student group, an international student group, and I saw a gentleman come.

I thought, oh, yes, that is the director of the theological seminary. He wasn't. He was a professor of a non-Christian university. But after I had given my talk, I said, and will you now say a word of prayer with us?

He said, I? I have never prayed in my life. Suddenly I saw my blunder, and I saw who was who. I said, oh, professor, it doesn't matter. I will pray. But, you know, Japanese people are very polite, and after I had finished, he came to me bowing very deeply several times, and he said, Ms. Tenbuma, I'm so sorry that I could not do what you had asked me, but I had never prayed before.

I said, professor, I appreciate that you didn't do it. Perhaps if you had been more superficial, you should have a prayer without believing. But, by the way, why are you not a Christian? He said, oh, no, then first I must study Christianity.

I said, professor, in this book is not written, those who study Christianity, God gives the power to become a child of God, but those who receive Jesus, he gives them the power to become a child of God.

And then I showed a way of salvation to him, and I prayed in the same time. You must have the horizontal and the vertical connection in the same time when you are a soul winner. And sure enough, after half an hour, that man made his decision that the angels in heaven rejoice.

Do you see the picture? God took the blunder of a dumb Dutch to save the life of that man. A strategic point in a university in Tokyo. Surrender your blunders. Surrender means surrender your worries. Oh, I see so many Christians who have long faces because their worry is on the throne.

Replacing Worry with Trust

And I like what Trumbull said, worry is a black, murderous, God-defying, Christ-rejecting sin. Worry at any time for anything, whatever. When I say that, I must confess you that I have not yet graduated in the non-worry science.

I'm still studying, and I fear that after I have graduated, I must have a post-graduate course. But Jesus is my teacher. You know, so many, even Christians, are like tightrope walkers, going from the past to the future, balancing over a tightrope.

In one hand, the sack with the indigested past, in the other hand, the sack with the anticipated future. That's not what the Lord expects from his children. When you are a child of God, you must be an escalator walker.

Do you know these practical things you have in these big stores of you? You stand relaxed, and you go higher and higher. That's going with Jesus. Worry is a great blunder. Some time ago, I was in Los Angeles, and I had a secretary, not my fellow worker, Connie van Hoogstraten, who's now with me.

She is my permanent help now. But this was a lady who helped me only when I worked in Los Angeles. Now, there was a very bad flu. And one morning, she awoke, and she said, Oh, I have a headache. I thought, worry told me she has flu.

I said, You stay in bed. And don't come in the street where it's rather cold. I must go to the college the first hour. But I can go alone, and if you are well enough, you can always start with the letters.

But when I went in the street, I felt that I had a headache. And worry said, You have the flu. My eyes were very strange. And worry said, You have the flu in your eyes. I had never heard of it. But when I came in the college, I opened my Bible, and I could not read.

Now worry was on its throne. You have flu in your eyes, and perhaps you can never see again in your life. Now what must I do? I cannot do my work when I cannot prepare my talks. Go back to my former trade.

I was a watch repairer. I can't repair watches when I cannot see. I fear that I did not give a very happy talk to the students. For when worry is on the throne, you are not very happy and joyful. At the end of the hour, there came my secretary.

I said, Why didn't you stay at home? It is so cold today. Oh, she said, I am not ill. I said, I know it, but you had a headache this morning, and you could have started with the letter. She said, I cannot see through your glasses.

I got my own glasses, and I could see, and my headache was gone, and my flu was gone, and again I saw what a stupid blunder worry is. Worry is carrying tomorrow's load with today's strength, carrying two days at once.

It is a cycle of inefficient thoughts whirling around the center of fear. It does not empty tomorrow of its sorrow, but it empties today of its strength. I read that in a little booklet that I have written and that I call Don't Restle, Just Nestle.

It is not yet printed, but if you like to keep contact with me afterwards, give your name and address. I write every two months a general letter, and it doesn't cost you money. That paper is called Harvest Time, and I sent it to 30 ,000 people over the world, and I will be very happy to send it to you also when you are on the mission field.

Now and then you can also read when Don't Restle, Just Nestle is published. Worry means... Surrender means surrender your if-onlys. So many Christians I see with long faces because there is an if-only in their heart.

If-only that roommate was a little bit quieter, that I could study more. If-only that professor that teaches us understood that I cannot learn as quickly as that other student. If-only I had more time for sports.

If-only I was married. That was in my life an if-only. I was young and strong and healthy, and I loved a young man, and he loved me, but his mother wanted him to be... to marry him a rich wife. And so there came a moment that he brought his fiancée to me and laid her hand in my hand and said, I wanted you to be friends together.

Oh, it was... my heart was broken. And after they had left, I went straight to my room, and I said, Lord Jesus, I have surrendered my life to you. You know that I belong to you, lock, stock, and barrel.

Now, Lord, you know that there is something in my being that is broken. But I... I claim your victory, Lord Jesus, in that part of my being that is longing to marry, that is longing to have children, and, Lord, that has been wounded now.

And it was a short battle, but then came the absolute victory. And I can tell you that the Lord Jesus takes care for you when you surrender your problem. I've never married, but the creative power that a woman has to have a husband and children, I could use in the kingdom of God.

And I can tell you I've had a very happy life, and Jesus has made that I have never become a frustrated old spinster. But surrender, I had to surrender it. Now, I have said that we may, must surrender, and may surrender.

Opening Every Door to Jesus

It is the joy when you are surrendered and you are the clay that can be formed by the potter. And if you have a compromise with the surrender, then you cannot experience Jesus' victory in every corner of your life.

Recognize his presence and yield to his control. Is Jesus guest in a little attic room? Then no one knows he is there. His strength to protect is lost. Throw open all doors. Jesus is here. I think you know that old story that is such a good illustration.

A very simple woman had one boy. She was a widow, and she worked hard for him, and he became a doctor. Later, he was far away, and he married a rich wife. And once he said to his wife, there is a very simple woman who has been good to me when I was a child.

Do you think it is all right that I invite her? She said, of course. When she has been good to you, she is very welcome. But when he met his mother at the station, he said, Mother, never tell that you are my mother.

He was ashamed for his own mother. And there she lived in an attic room, but she always prayed for her children downstairs. Once, the doctor's wife found out that she was their mother, and she went to her, and she said, Oh, Mother, come down.

Live in our whole house. I didn't know that you were our mother. From that moment on, the house was blessed. Where does the Holy Spirit live in your house, in your life? Did you give him only an attic room?

Oh, give him your 100%. And you have really no right to keep anything for yourself, for you are bought with a very high price, the precious blood of Jesus. Perhaps we do not always recognize how terrible the cross was.

The Suffering and Glory of the Cross

We make the cross of Jesus Christ so beautiful, but it was cruel. And perhaps we in the concentration camps have understood better because of our own suffering. Once, we were told to go to the street, and we were stripped of all our clothing, and we had to stand on a naked parrot.

That was the most terrible thing that has happened in my life. Seven times I had to go through in that camp, and the first time was the worst. I have never felt so ashamed, so cold, so miserable. And I said to Betsy, I cannot wear this.

This is worse than anything what we had to go through. And then suddenly it was as if I saw Jesus at the cross. And the Bible says, they took his garments. He hanged there naked, and he hanged there for me.

And by my suffering, I understood only a fraction of the suffering of Jesus, but it made me so thankful that it gave me power to carry my suffering. Love, so amazing, so divine, demands my life, my soul, my all.

A Life Fully Turned Toward God

May I ask you a question? Did you experience the rivers of living water stream through you and touch the people around you? Jesus said that of the Holy Spirit. Didn't you experience that? May I use an illustration?

What do you think when I keep this cup downwards? Do you think that I can pour on water? It will come on water in and out? Of course not. Do you think when your heart is turned towards the world that you can be a channel of streams of living water?

Of course not, but I know it. I'm here in a Bible school. Your life is not turned towards the world. Are you 50 -50? 50 turned towards the world and 50 turned towards God? Now look what happens. Nothing comes in and nothing comes out.

But I am sure that you are better. Are you 90 turned towards God and only 10 turned towards the world? Oh, then you are better than Christians who are only 60 surrendered. Now to see what happens.

Yes, there comes water in and there comes water out at one side. But only when I keep the cup 100 upwards. Now look what happens. At all sides it streams over. What are you? You are not this. Are you 50 -50?

Are you 99 The eyes of the Lord go to and through the world to strengthen him whose heart is fully turned towards him. And the eyes of the Lord go to and through this hall to fill with his Holy Spirit who is 100 surrendered.

Let us pray. Thank you, Lord, that in your great love you will have us 100%. Listen, Lord, who says, Oh, Jesus, make me willing to be made willing to surrender all. Lord, here are my if-onlys. Here are my limitations, my discouragement, my blunders, my sins.

Lord, I thank you that when I bring my sins to you, you forgive and forget and you cast them into the depths of the sea. Lord, listen, who says, I surrender self. Oh, Lord, what can you do for miracles with a total surrendered, decent sinner?

Hallelujah. Amen.

Corrie Ten Boom's Witness to God's Love

I'm saying this because I wanted to encourage you to read her books that she's going to leave here. We hear about God's love and loving our enemies. When you read about loving your enemies from Corrie Ten Boom, you're going to learn something.

The very people who betrayed her, who persecuted her, through whom members of her family were killed, she led to the Lord. The nurse who beat up her sister, the man who betrayed them. And she says that God never gives you, says to love your enemies without giving you that love.

She was knighted by the Queen of Holland. Her father was knighted before her. Ten Boom is a loved name in Holland and all over the world because she's brought this great message all over the world. And she can tell you a little fraction, but there's so much that we Christians need to know from Corrie Ten Boom.

So I just want to encourage you to read these books because there are going to be great things in there for you in your lives from someone whom God has used and where we see that his promises are true.

I want to tell you also that she spoke in the synagogue here. Her ministry is so fantastic, from prisons to palaces. I met her amongst the congressional members. Yet I saw her talk to three different prisons on Saturday and saw these frozen, grim men, their faces change and life come into them.

And all this you can help and experience through her books. The Jewish, the free Jews, the Jewish Congress have named 175 righteous, they call them righteous Gentiles. And at the top of the list is Corrie Ten Boom.

She's to be received with honor anywhere in the world where there are Jews and in Israel. And they plan to name streets in Israel after these righteous Gentiles. So maybe someday, and many of you are very young, you may go to Israel and someday you may say, well, I have to go to 135 Corrie Ten Boom Avenue.

Then you'll know who it's named after. But I just want to say very, very briefly, I know you'd be interested and I know that her books will mean a lot to you in your own life and in your own ministry.

Thank you for giving me the time. Thank you.