Deeper Still

“There is no pit so deep that God’s love is not deeper still.”
— Corrie ten Boom

When the Nazis occupied the Netherlands during World War II, Corrie ten Boom’s family began sheltering Jewish neighbors in their home. A hidden room was built behind a false wall in Corrie’s bedroom, and through it the ten Booms helped save hundreds of Jewish lives.

In 1944, their mission took a devastating turn. Corrie and her sister, Betsie, were arrested and sent to Ravensbrück concentration camp.

There, the sisters endured unspeakable suffering—a darkness marked by disease, cruelty, and brutality. Betsie eventually died in that camp. But before she did, she urged Corrie to forgive their captors.
Not to excuse evil.
Not to deny the pain.
But to entrust justice to God—and refuse to let darkness have the final word.

Corrie ten Boom: Netherlands native. Holocaust survivor. Watchmaker. Sister. Daughter. Writer. Christ-follower.
She knew darkness not as an idea, but as lived experience—deep in the pit. And yet, her life was unmistakably marked by the light of Christ. After her release from Ravensbrück, she stepped into a life shaped by faith and forgiveness.

But how?

How could she forgive?
How could she say that God’s love was deeper still—deeper than the pain she endured, deeper than the darkness she encountered, deeper than the loss she carried?

In the pit, Corrie knew God’s light.

This same light is seen in how God reveals Himself all throughout the Old Testament.

God’s light meant His presence. (Genesis 1:3-4)
God’s light meant protection. (Exodus 14:19-20)
God’s light meant salvation. (Psalm 27:1)
God’s light meant truth. (Job 12:22)
God’s light meant mission. (Isaiah 42:6)
God’s light meant gladness. (Esther 8:16)
God’s light meant hope. (Micah 7:8)

And then—at the moment God’s story had been building toward for centuries—God’s light meant Jesus. The Word became flesh and dwelt among us. Jesus came to the world with a life and light so bright that darkness could not overcome it.

In the Gospel of John 8:12, Jesus declares:
“I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

First, His light promises that if we follow Him, we will not walk in darkness. Jesus assured us of this by doing something remarkable—He did not avoid the darkness. He walked straight into it. In love, Christ entered the darkness Himself.

Second, Jesus says that if we follow Him, we will have the light of life. Not merely see it. Not reach toward it. But possess it. Christ’s light is not a mirage we strive to chase—it is a gift we receive when we follow Him.

Corrie ten Boom was shined upon by the radiant love and light of Jesus Christ. That love did not spare her from suffering. It did not promise a life untouched by darkness. But it did promise a light that would overcome it.

I am often shocked by the darkness in this world. I read stories like Corrie’s and think, Jesus came to save me from this.

And yet, I must also be honest about the darkness of sin in my own heart. I need to confess: Jesus came to save me from myself.

Will I follow the Light of Life?
Will you?

On the days when the world feels especially dim.
On the days when hope seems exceptionally small.
On the days when you feel happier than ever.
On the days when you’re convinced life will never get better.
And on the in-between days—murky and gray—when you wonder if everything will ever be okay.

God’s love is deeper still. And His light—strong enough to reach through the grave—has the tenderness to illuminate our lives for Him.

He is the light of the world, and He longs to be the light of our lives. In Him, we are shined upon by His light. And by His grace, we become the light of Christ.

This is why Corrie could forgive.

When Jesus says, “I am the light of the world,” He declares Himself to be the Light who steps into darkness—and the Light who outlasts it.

Corrie did not forgive because darkness disappeared. Corrie did not forgive because she simply mustered up the kindness or courage. She forgave because the Light of Christ was within her and shined through her.

His light reaches every hidden place: the brokenness of our hearts and the injustice of this world. It exposes, heals, judges, and restores. Darkness will not have the final word.

The reason why we can carry this hope each day—following the Light even when life seems dreary and dim—is that God is not finished shining His light into this world. This story that begins with “Let there be light” ends with no need for lamps at all—because God Himself will shine in all His glory.

“There will be no night… they will need no lamp nor light of the sun, for the Lord God will be their light, and they will reign forever and ever.” — Revelation 22:5

And still, the truth remains:

“There is no pit so deep that God’s love is not deeper still.”