Hi, I’m Joni Eareckson Tada and has this ever happened to you?
Okay, here’s the scene—tell me if you see yourself in it, okay? It was just a few weeks ago and I wheeled up to the kitchen table with every intention of spending about a half hour or so in my Bible. Before I had a chance to open the Word, sitting right there on the table, my eyes glanced to a couple of catalogs which had arrived in the mail that morning. Now, I love Coldwater Creek and immediately I spotted this brightly colored blouse on the cover. Under that was a Soft Surroundings catalog and I started thinking about the fitted sheets on our bed, and how the elastic is starting to fray. That’s when, out of the corner of my eye, I saw my Bible again. A little stab of guilt made me whisper a quick prayer; Oh Jesus, I know, I know I'll get to my reading, I promise, but I just want to take a minute to glance through these catalogs.” Twenty minutes later, I still had my nose in the magazines. I'm ashamed to say, my time in the Bible was pushed aside.
And this is why I have learned to pray Psalm 119:36, "[Lord], incline my heart unto your testimonies, and not to covetousness." Friends, there are days when I don't even want to pick up the Bible. But I know if I succumb to a ho-hum attitude toward the Word of God, my spirit will shrivel, my faith will shrink, and my hope will become dull and dim. Like you, I have experienced those dry seasons of the soul when the Bible holds no interest and you and I know that’s not good! Yes, I confess, I will get sidetracked now and then and yes, by something as innocuous as Coldwater Creek. And that’s exactly why I find myself constantly pleading, "Lord, don't let me get away with this! Put the 'want-to' in my heart, persuade my heart, bring it around, predispose my heart and prompt it. I know you won’t give up on me, Holy Spirit, so please, incline my heart to your Word and don't let me covet anything in its place, especially something as stupid as a clothes catalog!"
Another good prayer to offer up is from Psalm 86, "Give me an undivided heart, that I may fear Your name." You know, it’s hard to find undivided hearts these days, even among Christians. Maybe it’s this age of social media or everything on demand; maybe it’s that next shiny object. All these things have lessened our attention span, and our hearts become fragmented, easily distracted, they go every which way. I'm thinking about laundry to pick up, a project to finish for Sunday school, a birthday card I need to put in the mail, a "warning" light on my dashboard that needs to get checked. So many things vie for my heart's attention. I just have to ask God to gather the fragments, pull my heart together, and unite it to fear His name.
How about you? Do you have an undivided heart toward the Lord? If, when it comes to reading the word, you find that your heart has gone AWOL, then ask God to go grab it, unite it, incline it, persuade it; ask God to bring it around; give it a good shake so that the King of glory might be the Lord of your heart. Give God full reign to rule it. Invite Him to sit on the throne of your heart. And then, when the Holy Spirit whispers to you, “Put down those magazines, that catalogs (or, turn off that TV, or now’s not the time for a snack, or listening to your playlist, or raiding the refrigerator, whatever), when the Holy Spirit whispers it, you will be inclined, more inclined to obey. And hey, if you need more inspiration, you just have to go to my blog today at joniandfriends.org. Again, that’s my blog at joniandfriends.org.
February 7, 2019
A disability doesn’t have to destroy you – that’s today’s issue on "Joni and Friends".
Hi, I'm Joni Eareckson Tada and I'll be the first to confess: when you get that bad medical report, when you learn the broken neck means paralysis, when you hear you have some terminal disease, when any of these physical hardships hit you broadside, it can come close to breaking you. I’ve experienced many of these things and Jesus is right when He said, “In this world you will have trouble.” Because this world is so very broken, and God wired it to be very difficult. Disability is part of it and it is not easy. And it’s the little things that can get you down -- like this battle with cancer you know I'm going through right now? It’s making it harder for me to feed myself with my right arm where the muscles have been weakened where I had the tumor removed. Suddenly something that I had taken for granted for decades has been taken away from me – so for the first time, as I sit at the dining room table with Ken (having to feed myself everything on my plate), well… let’s just say Ken has to help me, and sometimes he has to have the Kleenex nearby, because it’s just so disappointing.
But I have learned these many years that embracing God in the midst of a physical affliction involves a lifetime of small choices. And if you are going through a physical hardship right now, I invite you to join me in committing to four simple things: First, give thanks to God for great and small things. I Thessalonians 5:18 tells us that in everything we are supposed to give thanks. So as I’m sitting there at the dining room table, I’m thanking God -- but I can’t feed myself as well as I used to. It prevents bitterness from getting a toehold.
Next, if you want to learn how to embrace God in the midst of a disability, learn to look out for other’s interests before your own. I often say to Ken: “No, no, it’s your turn to take a bite of your own food.” Philippians Chapter 2 tells us to do that, even though a disability seems to scream for your own attention; even though your arthritis or autoimmune disease can turn your focus inward, learn to resist that temptation, and always think about other’s needs. I’ll encourage Ken ‘Oh, take a break from helping me, you help yourself.’
Another tip: Take responsibility. Galatians Chapter 6 tells us that we need to carry the load that God gives us. Yes, there are many ways others can share your burden, but you are the one who must face your own physical limitations head-on. So as much as possible, manage the needs surrounding your disability. Are there things you can do for yourself? Then do them (I tell you, trying to feed myself with weak muscles is not easy. More food spills on my lap than gets in my mouth). But I want to encourage you as the weeks have gone by and as I am getting near to the end of radiation, I am able to feed myself a lot better and I was never so thankful as when I was finally able to feed myself again with my right arm).
Finally, if you want to learn how to embrace God in your hardship, then don’t forget to have hope in your future. God's plans are not to harm your soul, but to strengthen it, to refine and mature your soul. Friend, our cynical world is looking for Christians who will act on their beliefs and exhibit grace in hardship. So I’d like you to join me in this challenge. After all, He does have the final word. God gives it and the word is ‘hope’. Hey, if you’d like to learn how to help people with disabilities like me, then contact joniradio.org and ask for your free copy of “Start with Hello.” Because there’s so much hope available for anyone with a disability, and I should know having had to learn to feel myself all over again. So go to joniradio.org today and ask for the free booklet “Start with Hello.”
February 6, 2019
Hi, I’m Joni with an interesting observation about the apostle Paul.
You and I both know that Paul has got to be one of the best examples in Scripture of what it means to follow Jesus, and follow him closely. Yes, you are very much like Paul when you’re filled with the Holy Spirit; when you are out there doing great spiritual conquests, when you are energized by the Word, and you just can’t stop talking, you can’t stop singing, you can’t stop witnessing about Jesus. All this makes you feel filled with God’s power, and even your faith seems enlarged, like anything is possible. That’s like Paul because he is just like that in the book of Acts.
The golden days of Paul's ministry are recorded in Acts. It seemed no effort for him to be wide awake at midnight in a jail cell, earnestly praying despite his weary, aching body feeling weighted by chains. Even then, especially then, he was singing hymns at the top of his lungs. Scripture tells us the jail doors flew open and everyone's chains fell off. Prisoners applauded him, and the jail keeper, whom God saved instantly, even invited him to his house. Things were looking up! There were countless spiritual victories; miraculous healings and huge advancements on the mission field. This new fledgling church was growing and Paul’s preaching kept bringing more and more into the fold. No wonder Paul was filled to overflowing with joy.
But then, time goes by and if you look closer at his last epistle, you see a different, a softer side. Sure, Paul was in jail again when he wrote Second Timothy. But this time there was no loud singing, there was no miracle, there was no escape. Winter was approaching and Paul felt old and tired. Deserted by his friends, he struggled against sickness. Even his companion Trophimus was sick, yet Paul couldn't do a thing to heal his friend. He couldn't even heal himself! Yet the old apostle didn't allow discouraging circumstances to get him down. Things were not the same as the "golden days of old," yet he hung on courageously to God, sharing honestly with his readers about his need for prayer. He isn’t too proud to admit that he is in dire need of spiritual support, for he writes in his 2nd epistle in the 4th chapter, "For I am being poured out like a drink offering, and the time has come for my departure. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith, but do your best to come to me quickly, for Demas, because he loved this world, has deserted me and has gone to Thessalonica. Crescens has gone to Galatia, and Titus to Dalmatia. Only Luke is with me." You can almost hear the weariness and even a little bit of loneliness in his words.
And there’s a lesson from Paul’s life for us. Because some days you feel like life is on the up-swing, and other days it's totally flat. Sometimes you sense the miracle in your life, and other times everything seems very ordinary. Are you energized today to meet a challenge head-on? Or do you feel tired and trapped? Life's circumstances can make you feel like a yo-yo, can’t they, but don't allow the "ups and downs" to get you down. Learn a lesson from the apostle Paul at both ends of his wonderful ministry. Don’t look at your situation; just keep looking at your Savior. Just keep committing to God to fight the good fight, finish the race, and keep up the faith no matter what your age might be. Let us hear from you today on my radio page at joniandfriends.org.
February 5, 2019
Hi, I’m Joni Eareckson Tada with a good word about our Abba daddy.
Yep, our Abba heavenly Father daddy who is totally invested in the spiritual battles that His children face every day. God is a warrior: a daddy-warrior who fights hard on behalf of His children, you and me, and when I am in a tough spiritual battle, mostly against those irksome demons that harass me constantly—you know, harassing spirits of discouragement, lying spirits, or even battling against false guilt over past sins that I know have been forgiven and forgotten. When those battles start raging in my heart, when the spiritual bullets start zinging by me, I appeal to my Abba-daddy-heavenly-father-warrior. I know the enemy will try to divide and conquer; he will try to separate me from Jesus, tempting me to think that God is off somewhere listening to the prayers of more obedient Christians, or that he is busy taking care of someone else’s separation or divorce, or that God is off in the Middle East fulfilling biblical prophecy, or whatever. But I know well enough to even recognize that is a lie.
And so… I’ll come up with Psalm 143 and pray insistently, “Oh Lord, in your mercy put an end to my haters, and send destruction on all those who are against my soul; for I am your servant.” Man, I love that verse! Because the psalmist is not just talking about the Philistines, the Amalekites or the Midianites; no, he’s talking about the father of all those pagan nations, Satan himself – Satan and his miserable minions.
And it’s so comforting, so encouraging, so incredibly reassuring that our heavenly Father, our daddy-warrior immediately jumps right in the ring with us when we cry out to Him. All we need to do is cry out, and he’s going before us, he’s landing a knockout blow to the enemy. And why wouldn’t he? He’s the Father of all compassion: your Father, your daddy, your defender. And just listen to the way He loves you and fights for you when you are discouraged and feeling overwhelmed. In Zechariah chapter 2, verses 8 and 9 (I love this) God says to you, "… whoever touches you touches the apple of the My eye. I will surely raise My hand against them." (Love that). The New Living Translation states it as "anyone who harms you, harms My most precious possession. I will raise My fist to crush them." And here’s the way the Message paraphrase puts it: God says "anyone who hits you, hits me - bloodies my nose, and blackens my eye, they will be stripped down and thrown out." Whoa! What a picture of fierce loyalty and protection. God is the One who fights every battle for you. You are loved beyond measure, and you never have to face a battle alone.
Look, you and I both know that the spiritual battle is getting harder and hotter; it’s getting fiercer and more serious. It sometimes feels like all the forces of darkness are marshaled against you, doesn’t it? And yes, you fall easily for the trap that tells you God is off somewhere, He’s uncaring, and He’s not that interested in your struggles. Well, as you fight against guilt or temptation, or a complaining spirit or selfishness; as you battle against pride or self-importance; as you fight the good fight – and a fight against any sin is a good fight – God’s got His gloves on, because you are the apple of His eye and any dark demon that tries to raise its hand against you, His most precious possession, is going to feel the knockout blow from your Heavenly Father. Because the God of Zechariah, your God, is a warrior, a warrior who loves to obliterate your adversary. So just count on Him!
February 4, 2019
Hi, I’m Joni Eareckson Tada and welcome to Joni and Friends.
Not long ago I found myself in a prayer meeting at an international church. When I arrived, I immediately noticed many people, all of them believers in Jesus, and they were obviously from different nationalities. Some of them were dressed in African garb, others looked Middle Eastern. One or two people even wore turbans, and I noticed a few women wearing Indian saris. I thought to myself, ‘Oh, this is going to be interesting’, and I was right. More than just interesting, it was absolutely heavenly when we all started praying; oh, sure some in English, but many chose to pray in their own language. And at the close when we sang a few familiar worship songs, the words were indescribable (actually they were indiscernible), but oh, the sound took my breath away. Like I said, it sounded like heaven.
My heart is always stunned and stirred when I hear people from different nations giving praise to God in their own language. And if it thrills me here on earth, what will it be like in the throne room of God? Revelation Chapter 7 says, “… I saw a vast crowd, too great to count, from every nation and tribe and people and language, standing in front of the throne and before the Lamb. They were clothed in white robes and held palm branches in their hands. And they were shouting with a great roar: ‘Salvation comes from our God who sits on the throne and from the Lamb!’” Will we say all speak in English, or in French, or Russian? Or will it be the language that people all enjoyed speaking together before the Tower of Babel when God divided that one language into many. Look, I don’t know what it will be like, but that description in Chapter 7 makes me want to lie prostrate in amazement!
Recently, I had that same feeling of amazement when a friend shared a link to a fascinating website called Scripture Earth. It catalogs every (and I mean every) known bit of Scripture available in every language on every continent. You can click and listen to (or you can choose to read) scripture spoken and written in all kinds of languages; those well-known and others that are completely obscure. I played around on the website for a while, clicking here and there, looking at John 3:16 written in Achagua and Abidji, wherever those languages are spoken! It is astounding—not only to think of the variety of tribes and peoples God has created, but to imagine standing alongside them from all those nations (those people) as we praise God together. What a glorious day that is going to be.
So get ready, get started for the party by visiting joniradio.org and clicking on the link to Scripture Earth. And the best part – if you know someone in your town or on your college campus who speaks Vietnamese, Uzbek, Tamil, Hindi or some other way-different language, hop on the website, cut and paste a few encouraging Bible verses in their tongue, or perhaps your favorite Psalm or maybe your life verse; find it in their language, print it out, and hand it to them with a smile, and maybe a hug :-). After all, it’s a wonderful way – and a simple way – of sharing favorite Bible verses. So today, find the link to Scripture Earth on joniradio.org because God's Word changes lives, so let's do all we can to reach our international friends with God's love, after all, I know you want them to join us before God's throne, praising their Savior on that glorious day! God bless you today and thanks for listening to Joni and Friends.
February 1, 2019
Hi, I’m Joni Eareckson Tada and have you ever wondered exactly why God created you? Or why He created your children or your grandchildren? God couldn't have spelled it out any plainer than in Isaiah 43:6-7. He created you and me for one purpose: to showcase His glory, to enjoy it, display it, and demonstrate it every day to all those we encounter. God says in Isaiah 43 "Bring my sons [and my daughters] from afar, everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made." Oh friend, He formed you, he made you just as you are; he created you to reflect, to mirror the glory of God; to display and showcase His glory. But glory is an interesting word, how do we glorify Him?
What does it mean to put His glory on display? Well, here’s the thing, it means highlighting His attributes and characteristics. Of course, we do that when we talk up God the Father, or we talk up the Holy Spirit or Christ, our Savior, when we express to others our devotion to the Lord, or our delight in Him, when we describe his loveliness and compel others to trust Him, all that makes Him look bigger and brighter, in other people’s eyes. To glorify God with our words is to magnify – to make larger-looking – the excellency of Jesus in the eyes of others. To tell others why we think He is worthy and why we think He is laudable; it is wise to trust him, all these are ways of glorifying God.
When we give to the poor, we are glorifying God because He cares for the poor. When we help the young mother down the street who lost her husband, we are glorifying God because He cares for the widow. When we advocate on behalf of an elderly person in a nursing home, we are glorifying God because He’s concerned about the rights of the oppressed, the needs of the lonely, and the welfare of the forgotten. When we show mercy to a friend who has wronged us, oh my goodness, then we are glorifying God and His nature to forgive.
But it also means making hard choices to do the right thing: that is, the righteous thing. It means biting your tongue from gossiping, going out of your way for a neighbor in need, telling the truth even when it's hard, not snapping back when someone hurts you, or speaking freely and openly about your Father in heaven. In short, it's living like Jesus lived when He walked on earth.
God is invisible. In the Old Testament, you know as well as I, whenever He wanted to display His character, His innermost being, He did so through something visible like a burning bush, a pillar of cloud or of fire, or a "theophany" as they call it (an appearance of the pre-incarnate Christ). In the New Testament though, God displayed His glory through His Son, Jesus. But hey, it’s 2000 years later, Jesus doesn't physically walk on earth anymore, and bushes that burn are only in prairie fires or piles of raked leaves. So how does an invisible God display His glory in this age? Through you! Oh, my goodness, what a privilege.
It’s why God created you. You are Christ’s ambassador, His representative, you are His mirror. When people look at you and talk to you, they should see Jesus. And to delight in Christ is to glorify the Father. It’s so amazing to think that you and I are God’s burning bushes, we are His pillar of cloud and fire, pointing people to Christ and bringing Him glory upon glory upon glory upon glory. Would you do that today? God bless you and thanks for listening to Joni and Friends.
January 31, 2019
I love that beautiful gospel song, something that you often sing right before communion. So if you know it, sing it with me today.
Let us break bread together on our knees
Let us break bread together on our knees
When I fall down on my knees
With my face to the rising sun
Oh, Lord, have mercy on me.
I love this old hymn, especially the part when we sing “On our knees.” I grew up in a Reformed Episcopal Church, a solid little evangelical congregation and we took the Lord's Supper up front kneeling at the Communion railing. When our knees are actually bowed, it should be a physical symbol of a spiritual reality. It’s a sign of humility. And that’s why I so love this poem. It’s credited to Carol Wimmer, but whoever wrote it sure knows something about humility, especially as it concerns our life in Christ.
She writes, “When I say, ‘I am a Christian,’ I'm not shouting ‘I'm clean livin.’ I'm whispering, ‘I was lost, now I'm found and forgiven.’ When I say ‘I am a Christian,’ I don’t speak of this with pride. I'm confessing that I stumble and I need Christ to be my guide. “When I say ‘I am a Christian,’ I'm not trying to be strong. I'm professing that I'm weak and I need His strength to carry on. When I say ‘I am a Christian,’ I'm not bragging of success. I'm admitting I have failed and I need God to clean my mess. When I say ‘I am a Christian,’ I'm not claiming to be perfect. My flaws are far too visible but God believes I am worth it. When I say ‘I am a Christian,’ I still feel the sting of pain. I have my share of heartaches, so I call upon His name. When I say ‘I am a Christian,’ I'm not holier than thou; I'm just a simple sinner who received God's good grace, somehow!”
Don’t you love the spirit of humility in that beautiful poem? Because it accurately reflects the way our hearts, the way our knees should bow before the Lord Jesus when we break bread together. When we come to the Lord's table, we divest ourselves of all our strength and pride, all our abilities and resources and we admit: Oh, God we are nothing; without Jesus, we can’t do anything, we are nothing! It’s the best position to be in to receive the abundant grace God gives so graciously, so abundantly, at the communion table where it is a means of grace. So friend, whether you’re breaking bread, or fellowshipping with friends, reading the Word, praying with someone, or going before the Lord Jesus on your own, find a moment today (it might be different for you) to fall down on your knees, would you? At least figuratively. I'm in a wheelchair, I can no longer drop to my knees literally, but I do so figuratively; and if you have arthritis or bad legs, you may not be able to kneel before the Lord either, but we can bow our hearts; we can make our souls drop to their knees to reflect submission, to show humility before our Savior. And hey, it doesn’t have to be communion; it’s the way to break bread with the Lord Jesus every day!
January 30, 2019
I’m Joni Eareckson Tada with an interesting verse from Romans 13.
I say interesting because it’s so curious, and you might tend to gloss over it. Paul says in Romans Chapter 13 verse 11, “Salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed.” Think about that. Your salvation is nearer to you now than when you first believed. Like, hello, what does that mean?
Well, let’s look at that word “nearer.” When things are nearer to you, they are closer, they are more intimate, in fact, they may well be much more dear to you. And that’s what this verse conveys. I know that my salvation is so much dearer, sweeter and precious and nearer to me than when I first believed as a teenager. Way back then, I appreciated what Jesus did for me when I was new in the faith, but I never considered Jesus... precious. Only elderly Christians and missionaries and old hymn writers spoke of Him as precious! Well, now that I am older and over the years, Jesus has become my true Friend, my Fortress when I am frightened, my Beloved when I give Him praise, my Righteousness when I have sinned, the Shepherd who seeks me when I've gone astray.
How did Jesus become so precious to me? Well, this is the way I look at it: Today is the first day of the rest of my salvation! The Christian idea of salvation involves the past (like when I was a teenager), it involves the present (like right now), and the future. Ephesians Chapter 2, verse 8 says "By grace you have been saved….". First Corinthians Chapter 1, verse18 says "The Gospel is the power of God to us who are being saved." And then as far as the future is concerned, Romans Chapter13, verse 11 says "Salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed." We have been saved. We are being saved. And again, that thing about our salvation being nearer now than when we first believed, we will be saved. Ultimately, it means that we are nearer to the time when we will experience the final part of our salvation, in heaven we’re going to be glorified. At every stage we are saved by the death of Christ. In the past, our sins were paid for by Christ – that’s when we were justified. And in the present time, the death of Jesus secures the power of God's Spirit to save us from the domination of sin – that is what is happening right now as we are being sanctified. And in the future, it will be the blood of Christ that saves us from the wrath of God to come and will usher us into perfection and joy eternal, and that, praise God, is when we will be glorified.
Oh Christian friend, I know that is a lot to take in, but I hope you can appreciate that your salvation is nearer now to you than when you first believed. I hope you are faring well through your sanctification as you daily die to sinful habits and keep striving to please the Lord Jesus by obeying. And I sure hope you have your eye on heaven, where you will, finally, be saved from your body of sin and death, and will experience the everlasting joy of being glorified. Every day, it’s getting better and better, nearer and nearer. As the old Gospel song goes, "Every day with Jesus is sweeter than the day before; every day with Jesus, I love him more and more!" So I want you to grasp the sweetness of all that Christ purchased for you in the past, in the present, and in the future. Today, get actively engaged in your present salvation, and praise the Lord that you will be saved to finally enter God’s eternal joy.
January 29, 2019
What are you doing with the mission that God has given you?
Hi, I’m Joni Eareckson Tada and we all have a mission. It’s virtually the same as our Lord's and it is laid out in Luke Chapter 19 verse 10, "For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost." Oh, friend, it couldn’t be simpler or plainer. Jesus came to seek and save the lost, and our mission is the same. God saved us so that we might be His agents of mercy in sharing the Salvation message with others.
Now, there’s something you can learn from the way Jesus sought out the lost. In order to carry out His mission, He connected with virtually every person the Father put in His path, every kind of individual in every strata of society. He didn’t bypass anyone. Look at the ones Jesus sought out. In the first few verses of Mark Chapter 5, He befriends this guy with a serious mental illness, something no Jewish fellow would be caught dead doing. Then in Luke Chapter 5, He started up a relationship with a tax collector; a conniver and a known cheater. In John Chapter 4, He connects with a Samaritan: a woman who was a loner, a rebel. In Luke 15, we see Jesus going to parties with bums. He gets to know people with questionable reputations. He goes to see shut-ins, widows, and elderly folks. He connects with town leaders and magistrates. And as we’ve already seen, Jesus seeks and saves the lost among those riddled with disease and wracked with psychiatric disorders. Whoa!
Now here’s the thing: If we are to follow in Christ's steps and carry out His mission, (that is our mission) we have to do the same. It won't be easy; it’ll take you out of your comfort zone and you’ll be tempted to relate only to those with whom you identify, you know, people with whom you feel at ease. But if we want to follow Jesus, then it will mean making inroads, that is seeking out those we don't normally connect with.
My good friends Paul and Jill Miller recently lost Ashley, their adult daughter to an aggressive cancer. But when she was alive, even as the cancer was spreading and even as she was undergoing treatment, Ashley never forgot her mission. Because not only were the medical staff part of her mission field; so were the people she encountered on the way to the chemo clinic. Like the homeless people she would meet on the street or at red lights. Whenever Ashley went in for a treatment, she’d pack up small bags filled with items like socks, a tooth brush, tooth paste, a sandwich, a bottle of water, hand sanitizer, and a hand-written Bible verse. That way, when Ashley passed someone who was homeless, she’d have something to offer, something to show them the love of Christ. These homeless people never saw in this lovely, successful looking woman any indication that she was suffering horribly with cancer or that she would soon lose her life. But that made her effort even more glorifying to God. In her own loss, Ashley carried out the mission Jesus had given her – a mission He has given us all, to seek and save the lost at every cost.
Every day we bypass people who are considered outsiders, loners and second-class citizens. Yet God has put these individuals around us in our neighborhoods, on our street corners, at the mall and in parking lots. Ashely did not allow her cancer to deter her from her mission; in fact, her cancer expanded her mission field to people she might not have normally met. Like her, let’s make inroads in our community "mission field." Ashley sought out the lost. Can you do the same?
January 28, 2019
Hi, I’m Joni Eareckson Tada and I love a beautiful garden.
Like my sister Jay’s garden back on the Maryland farm. On many days I would sit by the farmhouse window that overlooked her vegetable and flower gardens. She had cordoned off two different plots from our pasture! The vegetable garden was large and there she would be, raking and tilling rows of zucchini, butternut lettuce, tomatoes and silver queen corn (my favorite). Jay Kay took pride in her rows of vegetables – as well as the long, straight lines of marigolds in between the veggies to keep the bugs away. Even those rows were neat and tidy. It was so fascinating to watch my sister tend to her garden – she worked hard to keep away invaders like bugs, varmints, weeds, thorns and dandelions and rabbits.
When I lived on the farm and my sister, Jay and I would read the Bible together and she resonated with scriptures that spoke about gardens, like Song of Solomon Chapter 5, verse one, God (as the gardener) calls us His garden. He says, “Come into my garden, my lover, my bride.” Well, we also gleaned from Charles Spurgeon a few thoughts on what it means to be “God’s garden”. We are a lovely, set apart and reserved plot that He has purchased. We are His, and we can learn a valuable gardening lesson or two from that, given that a garden is not a wild and unruly wilderness. No, it is separate from what grows wild. It’s protected, it’s fenced in, it’s something somebody owns, a gardener claims it, and like any garden, God really works it and protects it, or I should say, He works us and protects us, rakes and tills us to produce something good in this world of weeds of our lives. And as the garden, we need to respect that, because although we may be in this world, we are not of it. God did not purchase us to be wild and unruly. No, when we make compromises, trying to edge as close to the world’s ways as we possibly can without becoming tainted (we think). Grace dries up, it stays low, it diminishes. Grace doesn’t flow easily and liberally. God’s not going to waste time watering the weeds and thorns in your life, oh, no. He has no intention of encouraging your compromised ways; if anything, He roots those things out. To God, a garden is a place that reflects His design, His intention, it’s a place of beauty where good and lovely things grow. And so, as His word says, “We should grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” And growth can be rapid when you yield to God and His rake.
And as much as the Bible talks about rest, how we are to rest in Christ, enter God’s Sabbath rest? Well, resting in Him is quite a theme in Scripture, and so a garden is a place of rest. It’s a place of retirement. I want my life, my heart to be reserved for Jesus. As most of you know, I’ve got to get out of my wheelchair early, shortly after dinner and that’s the time I lie flat in bed, just communing with the Lord, praying to Him or singing, quoting back to Him words of Scripture or a hymn. Ah, what rest, rest for me, and rest with my Savior, the gardener of all things good. I gleaned all these thoughts from Charles Spurgeon, a devotional that he had written. And you know what, we’re into winter right now, and maybe you are already planning a garden for next spring. If so, make it personal. Learn the lessons. Draw the parallel to your own life. You are God’s garden, purchased and owned by Him; you are the garden intended to grow and produce good things, beautiful things, to be free of thorns, and most of all, to be that wonderful place of rest for communing with the Lord Jesus.
© Joni and Friends
January 25, 2019