The Hiding Place Corrie Ten Boom Analysis

In The Hiding Place by Corrie Ten Boom, Corrie, the main character, meets with a loyal German lieutenant for a hearing. During this hear the officer questions why God allows suffering. Suffering is the most famous question all people have asked from one time or another. They don’t know the answer, nor do Christians understand the concept of suffering. They too wonder why God allows suffering. Although a large number of people see suffering Christians as a punishment from God, I believe God allows people to suffer because suffering can change people’s perspective on how they see God, it teaches people, specifically Christians, how to respond to those trials that God sends, and it teaches people to rejoice and give praise to Him. When
Suffering serves a different purpose for a saved person from an unsaved person. For an unsaved person, it is meant to seize their attention at a heart level. It shows the reality of sin and its consequences and creates in their heart a longing for deliverance from suffering which prepares them for a Deliverer. For saved people, suffering has two main categories; deserved suffering and undeserved suffering. Deserved suffering is a result of personal sin and is intended to prepare and train the believer’s heart to value the blessings of righteousness and holiness, and repent for the sin which brought the consequence of suffering. Undeserved suffering also has two categories. First, there is suffering for the Lord and the Gospel which comes when we represent the truth. One way this happens is missionaries being beaten for their belief in Christ. Suffering is an unavoidable and honorable suffering for which the Lord urges present endurance and promises the future reward. Second, there is suffering which is not
Christians are to have the right heart attitude when God allows trials in their lives. It is, however, very easy to respond in ways saying, “This is so unfair” and “Why me?!” But the Bible calls them to respond in a different way. The Biblical response to struggles is, “…[to] rejoice in our sufferings…” (Romans 5:3-4). Then James 1:2-4 says, "Count it all joy." Finally 1 Peter 1:3-7 goes on to say "In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though fire tests it—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.” Christians are to respond with a proper heart attitude towards God knowing that God is teaching them and growing