Safety in God’s Will

DARLENE DEIBLER spent four long years in a Japanese prison camp. Separated in 1942 from her missionary husband, she never saw him again. She was still a captive when she learned more than a year later that he had died in another camp. At the end of the war, a friend brought a letter from her husband written to her on his deathbed. Along with expressions of love, he wrote poignantly of one regret: “My darling, I have wished 1001 x’s that I had taken you away from here. I am concerned for your safety.” Darlene’s reaction to her husband’s letter revealed the strength of her faith:

It took me a long time to finish the letter. I didn’t want to stain it with tears. I was so grieved that he felt he should have taken me away. Both of us had agreed that we should remain, and that decision was reached only after much prayer. “Lord, I trust that You reminded him that it was You Who impressed upon both our hearts that we should not leave. I have been safer here, overshadowed by Your love, than I would have been anywhere else on this earth, outside of Your will!”

It is difficult to appreciate the power of this statement without knowing the full extent of the hardships and dangers faced by this woman during her captivity. Suspected of spying by the Japanese secret police, she was starved and beaten repeatedly. She frequently thought that her execution was imminent. She survived debilitating diseases and frequent bombing attacks. For her to declare that during all this she was safer there, in God’s will, than she would have been elsewhere is one of the most amazing testaments of faith I have ever read. It is inspiring to witness the power of such a sure relationship with God. After praying for guidance and listening for an answer, Darlene Deibler was confident that she was doing what God wanted her to do. With this knowledge, she was able to face every hardship without regret.

We want to thank AMG Publishers and Larkin Spivey for providing this plan. For the complete devotional or more information, visit: battlefieldsandblessings.com. To learn more about AMG International's gospel work around the world, visit: amginternational.org.