Joni Eareckson Tada: Sharing Hope

Speaker 1

I'm Shauna with Joni Eareckson Tada sharing hope. Thank you for joining us today.

We'll hear an inspirational story from Joni about her husband Ken. You may know that Ken and Joni read through the Bible chronologically from Genesis to Revelation every year.

And as you can imagine, that type of commitment has really sparked some great disciplines, like memorizing. Well, listen to Joni as she elaborates.

Speaker 2

Somewhere, oh, maybe a month or so ago when we were reading through Romans, Ken enjoyed the 12th chapter so much that he decided to commit it to memory. It's taken him about a month, but bless his heart, he has done it. All of Romans chapter 12, he knows by heart.

Well, today, as he was driving me in the van to work, he did what he almost always does when we get in the van: we pray. Maybe I'll sing a hymn or two. And then Ken launches into reciting his scriptures. We were halfway to work when he finished saying out loud all of Romans chapter 12. And he did it flawlessly. We then went back and recounted our favorite verses, like "be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, and faithful in prayer," and "bless those who persecute you; bless and curse not." And then the last verse about overcoming evil with good. There's so much great stuff in that chapter.

So I said to Ken, "You really love memorizing, don't you?" And you know what he told me? Ken looked at me in the rearview mirror and said it makes him feel whole, like a whole person, like a complete person. "It always makes me feel so good," he said. From the back of the van, I could look in the rearview mirror and tell that he was smiling.

I then said, "I just bet recounting God's word like this makes you feel at home, doesn't it?" He looked at me with surprise. "That's it exactly," he said. "It's like I'm at home, safe and sound." All the way the rest of the way to work, I kept reflecting on what Ken said, and it made me appreciate all the many benefits we have enjoyed from reading through the Bible every year.

Like my husband stated, getting into God's word, and what's more, memorizing it really makes you feel at home, safe and sound. It's just as Colossians, chapter 3, verse 16 says: "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God."

Oh, my goodness, that's exactly what we do in the van: recite the Word and sing hymns. But the point I want to make is about God's Word dwelling in you, finding a residence in your heart, making a home inside you. Friend, if you want to carry around that warm and wonderful sense of being at home no matter where you are, if you want to feel safe and sound, then let God's Word dwell. Let it find a home in you richly.

Speaker 1

And friend, one way you can begin doing that is by reading through the Bible with Joni and Ken. Go to our radio page today at joniradio.org and download your chronological reading schedule. Joni and Ken start with Genesis chapter one on January 1st, and the adventure through the Bible continues all the way through to December 31st.

So get on a solid path in the new year by reading through the Bible with Ken and Joni. For all your resources, just go to joniradio.org today.

Listening friend, we want to pray for you. Go to joniradio.org today and leave us your prayer request. And be sure to share that link with a friend in need of encouragement too. It's joniradio.org.