Jesus is All

This is one of my favorite quotes of all time. Corrie ten Boom came to this conclusion as she suffered the horrors of being imprisoned in a Nazi concentration camp during World War II. She watched her beloved sister, who was her closest friend, die in the rank conditions of their camp. She felt utterly and completely alone. She had nothing…nothing to cling to…nothing to find joy in…NOTHING but Jesus. And it was in this, the darkest time of her life, that she experienced Jesus in a new and profound way. She realized that Jesus was truly the only thing she needed. And that realization forever changed her life and her walk with Him.

When I think of Corrie’s story*, it reminds me of Advent. We feel alone in a frightening world, devoid of anything on which we can depend. And sometimes it’s hard to hold onto hope, to find any joy at all in our circumstances. But it’s precisely there, in the coldness and darkness of Advent, that we begin to embrace Jesus in a new and profound way. You see, in the darkness it’s hard to navigate on our own. It’s hard to see the things around you and grab onto what you think will help, fix you, make you whole. But that is where you need to be to see the light of the coming Savior as it pierces the inky blackness of the winter night. And that sliver of light is all we need to ultimately bring us the joy that will carry us through our days on earth and spill over into the lives of others. Corrie ten Boom was living proof.

Take a Walk with God

Take at least five minutes today and go for a walk. Contemplate the bleakness of a concentration camp and the remarkable way that changed Corrie’s relationship with the Savior and brought her joy that lasted a lifetime. Ask God to bring you the joy of knowing Jesus is all you will ever need.

*If you have not read Corrie ten Boom’s book, The Hiding Place, I highly recommend it. Her experiences stand as a remarkable example of someone who LIVED the joy of the Lord.