Corrie Ten Boom’s memoir The Hiding Place chronicles the Nazi occupation of Holland during WWII. Under constant watch, Corrie and her family decided to form an underground network of resistance, hiding Jewish men, women, and children in homes across Holland, including their own. They knew the day would come when the Nazis would learn the truth—and soon that day came. For their crimes against Germany, Corrie and Betsey were both sent to Ravensbruck Concentration camp, where their bodies deteriorated under the weight of overwork, malnutrition, and disease.
If that were the end of the story, it would be a tragedy. But day after day, in the flea-ridden dormitory that the guards would not enter for fear of being infested themselves, Corrie and Betsey read the Bible aloud for all the imprisoned women of Bunk 28. Holding daily services, they learned that the Word of God speaks boldly, even in—perhaps especially in—the darkest circumstances. And while their health faltered, their hearts grew more convinced that they would be together with God when the ordeal was over, whether through death or through survival.
Our temporary bodies hold eternal souls. My body is susceptible to illness, breakdown, injury, paralysis, and even death. But my soul is eternal. My body might stop working all together; organs might fail, and my womb may never function as it was designed to function. That is okay with me. Because my body is not me. It is a temporary home for God to do His work in the world. Even if that work is in a place I do not recognize. Even if that work is in a concentration camp.
Death—real death—is not physical. Spiritual death is eternal separation from God, and that kind of death has been swallowed up forever, because our Lord Jesus Christ took the penalty for our sin as He hung on the cross. Now, “Death has been swallowed up in victory” (1 Corinthians 15:54). So while our bodies might deteriorate, our souls will grow closer to our Creator. And one day, when Christ returns with a shout (1 Thessalonians 4:16), we will be raised to be like Him, bearing the image of heaven. “In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye… we will be changed” (1 Corinthians 15:50–52).
I pray that no one will ever experience anything as cruel and inhumane as a Nazi concentration camp. But all of us will at some point experience the impact of disease, death, and disappointment on this side of eternity. Those earthly losses are deep, and our heavenly Father grieves them with us. Yet in that grief, He invites us to shift our gaze to Him, to trust that He has plans that far exceed what we can see in this world, beyond the physical realm.
When my time comes to shed this shell, I pray that God will give me the courage to believe the truth; I lose nothing when I lose a human body, because I gain everything in Him. For the believer, Christ’s resurrection has secured eternity with Him. One day soon, He will return for us, and we will always be with Him, forevermore (1 Thessalonians 4:17). “Thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ!” (1 Corinthians 15:57).
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32 thoughts on "Jesus Is Our Returning Savior"
Shedding this Earthly shell for His Devine design. What powerful perspective.
I love The Hiding Place! I’ve read it over and over again. What a beautiful story! And what a great reading today! May is a month that cause me to think of death more often than most, it’s when my mother does when I was a little girl, my dad’s birthday is this month, and he’s been gone 15 years. But, that isn’t real death! How wonderful! The power of the Easter of a couple weeks ago going strong!
“Because my body is not me. It is a temporary home for God to do His work in the world. “- Love how that is worded, thank you – easy to carry in my heart.
Thank you also for the reminder that
at it’s best, everything here is dust, worthless
compared to what we will be provided in the eternal.
God makes each star uniquely gorgeous
Individual splendor given by God-for God, will be ours in heaven.
Living in hope now,
Looking forward to eternity
with our LORD.
Amen
Thank you Jesus
Selah
Yes that line resonated with me as well!
Look down into God’s Word for instruction, strength, and wisdom.
Look around to the work that He has called me to on earth.
Look up to heaven to await His return and I am taken to my forever home far from sin and pain.
Open my eyes, Lord, that I may see!
Aging is not easy. Yet it also brings me closer to the day I will see Jesus face to face. That makes the difficulties tolerable. I can’t imagine life without Him. That would not be life at all. Praise God that Jesus defeated death and heaven is our forever home.
What a wonderful devotion today, thank you.
I love how Claire explains this. Death -real death- is not physical. Real death is spiritual. It’s eternal separation from God, and that kind of death has been swallowed up forever, as our Lord Jesus hung on the Cross, He paid the penalty for our sins. “Now death has been swallowed up in victory”. I didn’t think of real death being a separation from God, but now that clicks. I once heard or read that we have no idea how awful that would really be. Even the unbelievers on this earth still are in a world where there is a Sovereign God. Evil may seem to loom large, but we have no idea all the things He stops and protects us from. He is still in control, protecting, providing, and reigning. I’m so thankful that God had a plan to rescue us. Jesus made the only way for me to get to be with Him forever. I’ve been through so many hard things, and God has been with me and helped me. However, as Claire also said above, For the believer Christ’s resurrection has secured eternity with Him!
❤️
Needed this today. Thank you ❤️