Joni Eareckson Tada: Sharing Hope

Guest (Male): How deep the Father's love for us, how vast beyond all measure, that He should give His only Son to make a wretch His treasure. How great the pain of searing loss; the Father turns His face away, as wounds which mar the Chosen One bring many sons to glory.

Joni Eareckson Tada: Oh, how I love those words. "How deep the Father’s love for us." There are a lot of hymns, old and new, that speak about God’s love being deep—deep like a vast ocean. "O the Deep, Deep Love of Jesus." Such hymns picture God’s love rolling as a mighty ocean. When I sing a hymn like that, I always harken to the time when I was in Ocean City, Maryland, and Ken and I went sailing.

Because my wheelchair was too big to bring on board the boat—it was a sailboat—Ken had to lift me, carry me on ship, and set me on a cushion, wedge me up against the side of the boat. There, he wrapped a line of rope around me five or six times. I looked like I was about to be marched off the gangplank. There I was, strapped to the main mast.

We left the dock and began sailing toward the inlet where the Sinepuxent Bay meets the Atlantic Ocean. For a short stretch there, the waves are pretty big and treacherous. We weren’t worried though. Ours was a big sailboat, and our friend Monty at the helm was as experienced as they get, along with his wife Sarah, who sat on one side of me and Ken on the other.

As we entered the channel, the boat began to pitch and roll, and it got a little scary there for a few minutes. I was nervous. If something awful had happened, if we had an emergency, I risked going down with the ship. Thankfully, though, Ken had a handy, sharp knife to cut the rope just in case. "Don't worry," said Sarah. "We will be in smooth water soon. This will pass."

She seemed to know what she was talking about. Being strapped to the boat, I relaxed, knowing that Monty and Sarah were experts at sailing. When we returned late in the afternoon back at the dock, Sarah shared with me an adaptation she wrote on Psalm 23. I’ve kept it all these years, and I share it with you today to remind you of the deep abiding love of Jesus.

Sarah wrote, "The Lord is my captain, I shall not be in want. He makes me anchor in calm harbors. He leads me beside quiet waters. He restores my soul. He guides me on a course of righteousness for His name's sake. Even though I sail through the troughs of the storms of death, I will fear no evil. God is with me. His sun and moon comfort me. He provides food from the sea in the presence of sharks. He rinses me with sparkling rain, and my tank overflows. Surely goodness and love is going to follow me all the days of my life, and I will sail in the ship of the Lord forever."

Friend, do you feel as though your life is swamped with all kinds of problems? Please know God’s love is deeper, wider, longer, higher than any weight you may have on board. Today, my encouragement for you is from Ephesians chapter 3. May you know, together with all the saints, how wide, long, high, and deep is the love of Jesus Christ.