The Just in Time God
…as your days, so shall your strength be.
Deuteronomy 33:25b
One of the surprise films of 2023 was the theatrical adaptation of The Hiding Place, the autobiography of Corrie ten Boom. I read the book and saw the original movie back in the late 1970’s when I was a young believer. It marked me deeply.
To you who might not be familiar with this true story of courage and faith, it revolves around a Dutch family who hides Jews in their home during the Nazi occupation.
It was a nerve-wracking time for the family and when Corrie verbalized her fear of the future to her father, he asked her when she is given the ticket to get on a train. In her book, Corrie describes the conversation that followed.
I sniffed a few times, considering this.
“Why, just before we get on the train.”
“Exactly. And our wise Father in heaven knows when we’re going to need things, too. Don’t run out ahead of Him, Corrie. When the time comes…you will look into your heart and find the strength you need – just in time.”
The time soon came when the ten Boom family would need that strength. On February 28, 1944, a Dutch informant told the Nazis about the hiding place, and the entire family was arrested and imprisoned.
Shortly thereafter, while behind bars, Corrie’s father became ill and died – only ten days after being arrested. Corrie and her sister, Betsy, were eventually sent to Ravensbrück concentration camp.
While there, the two sisters testified to the other women about the good news of Christ. Many were saved, but the conditions were appalling, and disease was rampant. Betsy died on December 16, 1944.
Corrie might well have shared the same fate. However, due to a clerical error, she was released – just in time – for a week later, all the women in her age group were sent to the gas chambers.
“When the time comes…you will look into your heart and find the strength you need – just in time.”
As Thy Days...
In the nearly fifty years since I first read those words, I’ve never forgotten this concept. Ours is a “just in time” God.
A Scripture verse I happened upon some time back underscored this in my thinking. In the Old Testament book of Deuteronomy, Moses said, “As thy days, so shall thy strength be” (Deut. 33:25 KJV).
The message is clear. The strength you need for a given challenge will be provided when you need it, not before.
Max Lucado offers a great commentary on this:
”The key to tranquility is to face today’s problems and no more. To treat each day like a self-contained unit.
”Meet today’s problems with God’s strength. But don’t start tackling tomorrow’s problems until tomorrow. You do not have tomorrow’s strength yet.
”When tomorrow’s problems surface, write them down and mentally drive them into a parking garage and leave them there. Give yourself permission to say, ‘I’ll solve this one tomorrow. Each day is a fresh start, so I will start fresh in the morning.’
”Shut the gate on yesterday; don’t touch the gate on tomorrow. You only have today – live in it.”
Friends, in these uncertain times, this truth needs to be planted deep into our souls. Our loving Father will give us the “ticket” we need right when we need it and not before. He is never late and He is never early. His strength will be there for us just in time.
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