Tested Love. When we are betrayed, beaten, mocked, imprisoned, falsely accused – on the other side, do we love or hate? Do we forgive, love, seek restoration or do we hold grudges, resentment, hatred, unforgiveness and revenge?

Tested love is where the rubber meets the road. It is easy to philosophy about love from the mind when all is peaceful and quiet, but when the heart has been wounded – what do we do with the betrayal?

Corrie ten Boom

Listening to Amazing Love by Corrie ten Boom, I am amazed at her resiliency. Corrie was the first licensed female watchmaker in the Netherlands and worked alongside her family until their Christian efforts to hide Jews during the Holocaust in WWII led to her family’s arrest and imprisonment in a concentration camp. Her family died, but she lived.

Even in the midst of hunger and torture in the concentration camp, she loved and cared for those around her. Corrie cared for other people’s spirits through God’s Word, she cared for other people’s souls through words of encouragement and hope, and she cared for other people’s bodies by helping the weakest and sickest in their barracks. After her release from the concentration facilities, she helped care for the mentally disabled who were hiding for fear of extermination by governmental eugenic policies.

After the war, Corrie returned to the Netherlands and set up a rehabilitation center to house concentration camp survivors, or those who were jobless because they had collaborated with the oppressors or those who were homeless because of the bombings or those who were refugees from other countries. Corrie accepted anyone in need of care.

Corrie eventually traveled the world as a public speaker, appearing in more than 60 countries. She also wrote numerous books; one book, The Hiding Place (1971) was made into a movie (1975). She actively spoke on God’s redemptive love and chose to forgive those who tortured her and killed her family.

Corrie ten Boom Quotes

When Jesus tells us to love our enemies, He Himself gives us the love in which to do it. We are neither factories nor reservoirs of His love; only channels. When we understand that – all excuses for pride are eliminated.

Yesterday is a cancelled check. Today is cash. Tomorrow is a promissory note to those who accept the victory of Jesus.

The problem of sin has been solved on the Cross of Jesus Christ. We have redemption through the Blood of Jesus that cleanses us from all sins. Forgiveness means we are cleansed. Redemption means it is as if it never occurred. Jesus changes darkness to light.

Not what can I do, but what can He not do?

We once lived under cause and effect, but now we live under His Love and the product is His grace. Instead of sinners, we are saints because of the righteousness of God. Jesus is victor of the past, present and future of everyone who surrenders completely to Him. He can change a dark spot of sin into a blessing. What was once a blot of sin becomes a living symbol of redemption through Jesus Christ.

The devil often laughs when we work, but he trembles when we pray.

Forgiveness requires more strength than hatred.

Darlene Deibler Rose

Darlene put her trust in Jesus at the age of nine and felt called to missions at the age of ten. She promised God at age ten, “Lord, I will go anywhere with you, no matter what it costs.”

Married at age nineteen, she headed to the jungles at age twenty. Darlene was a Christian missionary who was the first foreign woman to enter the Baliem Valley of Papua New Guinea. She and her husband served at a new mission station near a primitive jungle tribe that had only been discovered a few years earlier. She and her husband loved and served the people of Papua New Guinea until WWII broke out and stopped their work. She was twenty-five years old at the time.

Darlene became a prisoner of war during WWII and suffered greatly in the prison camps. Her husband and some of her teammates died, but she lived and walked in love toward fellow prisoners and her captors. For four long years she lived in horrible conditions, endured difficult forced labor under starvation rations, bore serious illnesses, solitary confinement, torture and false accusations of spying. God comforted, strengthened and sustained Darlene through it all.

Even in the midst of horrific beatings, the Lord answered her prayer that she would never weep in front of her captors. Upon returning to her cell, she would weep and pour out her heart before the Lord. He would answer, “My child, My grace is sufficient for you.” He didn’t say was or shall be, but it IS sufficient.

Her camp commander was exceptionally cruel, but Darlene gained favor with him and witnessed to him. After hearing of her husband’s death, Darlene said to the commander, “I do not hate you, I’m here to share that God loves me and God loves you, and perhaps God allowed me to be here to tell you that He loves you.” She shared the plan of salvation and the commander fled the room in tears. There are indications that decades later, he trusted the Lord.

After liberation and healing, Darlene married and returned to Papua New Guinea when she was thirty-seven and served for over forty years. She loved the people of Papua New Guinea. Though she suffered much, when sharing her story, Darlene would always proclaim, “I would do it all again for my Savior.” She passed away at the age of eighty-seven in 2004.

Her book, Evidence Not Seen: A Woman’s Miraculous Faith in the Jungles of World War II, is inspiring.

Darlene Deibler Rose Quotes

I realized how little I knew of what makes a true missionary statesman; of a faith that never staggers at the promise of God, no matter how incredible to the natural man its fulfilment seems; of a trust in the Unchanging One, Who keeps the heart at rest and unperturbed in a changing world; of a burning love that counts not life dear unto itself, but is expendable for God; and of a vision that is never dimmed.

What you don’t know cannot be beaten out of you.

Who understands the thrill of seeing the first bright flowers of spring so clearly as one who has just lived through the long, hard winter?

I was to discover, that when I took my eyes off the circumstances that were overwhelming me, over which I had no control, and looked up, my Lord was there, standing on the para pet of heaven looking down. Deep in my heart He whispered, “I’m here. Even when you don’t see me, I’m here. Never for a moment are you out of My sight.”

Love Beckons Us

Jesus love was tested at the cross as He suffered at the hands of sinful men for us. Corrie ten Boom and Darlene Deibler Rose’s love was tested through the hardships they endured at the hands of sinful men. We all have endured various trials and hardships at the hands of men, but God calls us to forgive, not to repay evil for evil, but to instead give a blessing and to walk in His love towards those who have wronged us. We can only do this by the power of His Holy Spirit.

So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience; bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so must you do also. In addition to all these things put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity. (Colossians 3:12-14) Let us choose to clothe ourselves with His love.

Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in brotherly love; give preference to one another in honor. (Romans 12:9-10)

For you were called to freedom; only do not turn your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. (Galatians 5:13 NASB)

Love Song

I would like to quote Ginny Owens song lyrics from I Am Nothing, but there is a copyright on song lyrics, so I will paraphrase her chorus:

Songs will fade and stories will cease to exist, selfless deeds will end and if we do not love, then we are literally nothing and our deeds become nothing.

This conveys that everything we do needs to be done in love or it will pass away. God is love. Christ is love. If we are hidden in Him, then we will live and move and have our being in His love. It is sobering when we realize that pure love is the measuring stick. We can fall on our face and ask the Lord to continue to transform us into His image that we might reflect Him and show forth His pure love to all. Our hope is in Him.

Book Reviews

Amazing Love – True Stories of the Power of Forgiveness. Written by Corrie ten Boom. Narrated by Nadia May. Audible, 2011. (Originally written in 1953) (2 hours 31 minutes) 5 stars – encouraging, instructional, inspiring. Corrie’s stories and her testimony in how she walked with others and shared God’s love is amazing. There is so much wisdom communicated from this woman of God.

No Greater Love. Written by Mother Teresa. Narrated Lorna Raver Dan Woren. (4 hours 31 minutes) 4.5 stars – Mother Teresa stated, “Unless your work is interwoven with love, it is useless.” She spoke of many instances of her love being stretched, and yet, she allowed herself to be fully stretched; resulting in God’s love touching the least of these.

No Greater Love. Written by A.W. Tozer. Edited and compiled by James L. Snyder. Narrated Matthew McAuliffe. (4 hours 1 minute) 4 stars – Excellent nuggets of truth, especially regarding thoughts about the fear of God and holiness. He said he was ‘evangelical through and through, but fundamental on the edges’ and this could be seen in some of his writing.

Surrender to Love. Written by David G. Benner. Narrated Robin Bloodworth. (3 hours 32 minutes) 5 stars – Benner has awesome insights about sonship. This is a great little read full of foundational insights of surrender and trust, love and abiding, and other heart tests.

The Heart of the Five Love Languages. Written by Gary Chapman. Narrated by Chris Fabry. (44 minutes) 5 stars – Dr. Gary Chapman states there are five primary love languages: words of affirmation, quality time, acts of service, receiving gifts and physical touch. Knowing your love language (giving to others and receiving from others) and knowing other’s love language (giving and receiving) leads to deeper communication and heart connection. Chapman focuses on our (and others) emotional love tanks or emotional love climates and that love is a choice that makes a difference. Intentionally sowing love or giving love that will minister the most to others is a great way to clothe ourselves in God’s love.

Evidence Not Seen: A Woman’s Miraculous Faith in the Jungles of World War II. Written by Darlene Deibler Rose. Narrated by Lorna Raver. (11 hours 11 minutes) 5 stars – There are no words to describe Darlene’s story. Her love and surrender to Jesus are heart inspiring. Her love and forgiveness towards others is beautiful to see and calls us forward in our walk with God. Darlene’s story is deeply impacting in the areas of: love, surrender, service, forgiveness and trust. An amazing story!

Key Thought:

Tested love is a love that has been purified. When we choose to love the unlovely, to forgive the unforgiveable, to give freely (to those who only take) as unto Him, and forgive those who betray us because He forgave us, then we can agree with Corrie that He turns darkness into light and we can agree with Darlene that His grace is sufficient for us in every situation.

Recommendations:

We can discover more about love through: Daniel delighting in God’s Love in the midst of hardship, the Good Samaritan experiencing compassion, George Washington Carver loving and serving rural farmers, and World Vision loving God through their hands to the least of these https://strengthwithdignity.com/life-and-godliness-love/

You can also read about the 4 Types of Love that C.S. Lewis mentioned and what love is and is not from 1 Corinthians 13 https://strengthwithdignity.com/4-types-of-love/

References:

Corrie ten Boom information from: Amazing Love Audiobook, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corrie_ten_Boom and https://expatshaarlem.nl/corrie-ten-boom/

Darlene Rose information from: https://www.quotetab.com/quotes/by-darlene-rose and https://www.goodreads.com/work/quotes/207087-evidence-not-seen-a-woman-s-miraculous-faith-in-the-jungles-of-world-wa and https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Darlene_Rose  and https://www.imb.org/2017/05/10/darlenedieblerrose/

New American Standard Bible. Copyright 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation.

Owens, Ginny. “I Am Nothing.” Source: Lyric Find. Copyright by Universal Music Publishing Group. The best version of this song is from the album, Hallelujahs – A Rocketown Worship Collection, 2003. Accessed June 15, 2021 from https://music.apple.com/us/album/hallelujahs-a-rocketown-worship-collection/5473471