In the wonderful book The Hiding Place, Corrie ten Boon tells of her experiences in the Nazi death camps. Soon after going to one of the concentration camps Corrie was given a Bible, a sweater, and a bottle of liquid vitamins by her sister Nollie. That was the last time they saw her before she was deported. Amazingly, the Bible was never taken away.  It was as though the guards did not see it. In the providence of God, Corrie doled out the vitamins, a drop at the time, to her sister. As more women became ill from malnutrition, hard labor, and depravation, Corrie reluctantly began giving them drops of the vitamins from the small bottle. And just like in the Book of Kings where, after the widow of Zarephath gave Elijah the last of her food, her jar of meal stayed full and her cruse of oil never failed, the vitamins lasted, far beyond what that little bottle could hold. Another miracle.

What sustained Corrie and her sister Betsie and others through that terrible ordeal was faith. What allowed them to minister most effectively was faith.

Redeeming Grace Ministries has enjoyed a moment of such amazing graze based upon faith. In 2003 in order not to mingle any local church funds with a desire to have funds for special acts of ministry to include going on short term mission projects a box was set up in the back of the church. We had agreed that whatever came into that box I would use for the work of special ministries as the Lord directed. This would include short term missions, underwriting of printing of my books for free distribution and whatever else the Spirit of the Living God directed should be done with the resources. No one thought much money would come into that little box, including me. Yet, it was a small step of faith.

However, the Lord was gracious and the resources came in. And as they did, I went to various countries to preach, to distributed free Christian literature and to search out individuals in need of help. Much good was done to bless others - by faith.

I have never confessed this publically before but I did not keep personal track of how much money came into that little box even though the amount was faithfully reported each week to the congregation after it was requested that it be so reported. My ministry has always encouraged accountability and openness so that was done. But I never knew how much total resources were coming in. I just took the money each week and ministered to others as the Spirit led. Like the pills in the vitamin bottle the money was there. Like the cruse of oil the financial resources for the work of the ministry flowed. And then, just like the pills stopped coming out of the bottle and the cruse of oil stopped flowing the time came when the Lord used private opposition to the resources coming into that little box to move myself and Redeeming Grace Ministries in a new direction. 

I have never forgotten my own initial amazement when it was reported to me just how much money had come into the little chest box and how much I had spent to help others and advance the gospel. I can appreciate Corrie’s response to the pills in the vitamin bottle. I can understand the amazement and gratitude of the widow of Zarephath. The amount the Lord entrusted to me for special acts of ministry was substantial. The Lord's servants had placed nearly $20,000 over a three year period into that little box. And it all happened according to gospel obedience and a step of faith.

Since the starting of Redeeming Grace Ministries I have encouraged others to minister by faith. It is not an easy concept to comprehend or implement but a ministry that appeals primarily to God through earnest prayer and not to commercial enterprises really is the most biblical. The challenge is to stay as close to the ideal as possible even when other legitimate principles want to encroach upon that guiding principle. A miracle working God supplying needs in such a way as to amaze the heart and give Him the most glory really is a precious memory. The memories of Corrie ten Boon produced, The Hiding Place.