Joni Eareckson Tada: Sharing Hope

Shauna: This is Shauna on Joni Eareckson Tada: Sharing Hope. One of our treasured Proverbs is the one that refers to apples of gold in settings of silver. Well, let Joni explain it.

Joni Eareckson Tada: Most likely you've heard that verse from the book of Proverbs, chapter 25, verse 11. And I love the way the New American Standard conveys it: "Like apples of gold in settings of silver is a word spoken in the right circumstances."

And oh, we've all experienced that, haven't we? Because the blues can really weigh on you and get you down, and I'm no exception. The other day I was struggling all morning to breathe comfortably. You see, I wear this tight corset; it's like a big binder with metal stays. I wear it to help me breathe. Anyway, it must have been on wrong or too tight. I'd only been sitting in my wheelchair a few hours, and my back was killing me.

Now, when those things happen—and they happen a lot with my disability—I have to fight, really fight, not to just cave in and give up. Sometimes I just get so tired of struggling to stay satisfied and stay content in my circumstances, hard as they are. On that particular morning, I just couldn't concentrate. I just wanted to go back to bed and forget the day.

But I breathed a prayer for help and then I soldiered on, opening a few notes that were left on my desk. One of the notes happened to be a card from the 11-year-old daughter of a friend. I flipped it open and read her words: "Miss Joni, I want you to know that I appreciate your life. You have really helped me overcome a lot of things. Thank you for loving God, and I hope you continue to serve him with all your heart."

My eyes got wet when I read that last line: "I hope you continue to serve him with all your heart." And out of nowhere, I felt grace enter me. I felt a fresh degree of Holy Spirit help begin to enlarge my soul. I felt as though my heart was stronger to face the task for the day.

It was just a simple letter with a few bright words. But God used that 11-year-old girl and her scrawled little note. He used it to give His encouragement, as well as focus me on how our perseverance and endurance really does count. Others are watching the way we handle trials, and they're learning. They're being enriched by our response to those trials.

Only the other side of eternity is going to reveal to you and me the immense value our small sacrifices of service are accomplishing. And if you are struggling a bit with the blues today, if you are near caving in to discouragement, may I remind you to persevere? Because listen to 2 Corinthians chapter nine, starting with the 12th verse, the Holy Spirit is telling you today:

"This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of God's people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God. Because of the service by which you prove your testimony, people will praise God for the obedience that accompanies your confession of the gospel of Christ. Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift."

Oh friend, there's your encouragement. There's your focus for the day.

Shauna: Oh friend, that is such good news. And there's even more good news waiting for you at joniradio.org today. At joniradio.org, you'll find this program and a whole treasure trove of Joni's other timely biblical wisdom to help you find hope in whatever hardship you might face.

And let's face it, life is tough. So let's lean on God's word and go to the Lord in prayer. That's when we'll find strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow. See you soon at joniradio.org. Oh, and one more thing!