God-given Fleas~

“You parents -  if your children ask for a loaf of bread, do you give them a stone instead? Or if they ask for a fish, do you give them a snake? Of course not!  So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good and advantageous gifts to those who ask Him" (Matthew 7:9-11)!

Greetings,

Corrie Ten Boom is one of my faith heroes.  She was an AMAZING woman who helped many Jews during World War II.  Eventually, she was arrested and sent to Ravensbrück concentration camp.  You can read her inspiring and powerful story in her book The Hiding Place.   As you might imagine, she endured many incredibly difficult situations.  And just when she thought it couldn't get any worse, she and the others in her barracks came down with fleas.  Fleas in a concentration camp where there were no ointments, baths, remedies or relief.  God, really?  But Corrie was a mighty woman of faith, and she thanked God for those fleas.  She believed as a praying child of God that there must have been a good reason for them. 

It turns out that the fleas were a God-given blessing that spared Corrie and the other women unspeakable horrors at the hands of monstrous, abusive guards who would systematically rape and torture other prisoners; the guards would not go anywhere near the infestation. The God-given fleas even allowed Corrie to share the gospel and have prayer meetings in those barracks.  So many women came to know Jesus because of those fleas.  Imagine that! Fleas being responsible for a legacy that will last all eternity.

If we really think about it, those fleas were actually the choicest of "bread" and "fish" – the best possible gift from God.  Tremendously "good" and beyond "advantageous."

PRAYER: Dear Lord, sometimes we think we have received "fleas" when all along it was exactly what we needed to ultimately be blessed and bless others.  Help us to trust Your goodness over what our eyes see or what our minds think.  Change our perspective today; You are the best Gift-Giver. We are grateful.  In Jesus’ name, AMEN~