Joni and Friends

The Truth About Suffering

For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe on
him, but also to suffer for him.
--Philippians 1:29
You will hear some believers say, "Although God can turn our trials into
good, he doesn't wish hard times on us, let alone send them. What he really
wants is to bless us and to keep us from suffering. The whole reason Jesus
went through so much, is so that we wouldn't have to experience hurt, pain,
disappointment or affliction." The Christians who hold this view are of
sterling character - they study their Bibles, care about non-Christians, and
show love for Christ in his kingdom everywhere they go. Nevertheless, the
statement above is a hopeless mixture of truth and error, and it misses the
core of why Jesus came.

First, despite Christ's compassionate death for our sins, God's plan - not
Plan B or C or D, but his plan - calls for all Christians to suffer,
sometimes intensely. Today's verse is only one of many which point to the
fact that we are to pick up our cross daily and follow in the footsteps of
his suffering (I Peter 2:21; 4:12). To encourage us, God will write light
moments into the script of our lives, but without fail, some scenes are
going to break your heart, some of your favorite characters will die, and
the movie may end earlier than you wish.

* * * * * * * *

God's plan is specific. He doesn't say, "Into each life a little rain must
fall," then aim a hose in earth's general direction to see who gets the
wettest." He doesn't wind up nature and then sit back to watch its sunny
days and devastating hurricanes. God doesn't let Satan prowl about totally
unrestricted. Do you feel as though God has taken a hands-off policy to
certain hardships in your life? Right now, place them under his sovereign
care. Commit to trust him with his plan for your life.

Lord of wisdom, Lord of my life, I believe and trust you with every trial in
my life.

Blessings,
Joni and Friends

Taken from Pearls of Great Price. Copyright 2006 by Joni Eareckson Tada.
Used by permission. Zondervan Publishing House, Grand Rapids, Michigan
49530

Objects of His Wrath

Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: ... Is it not to share your
food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter--when you
see the naked, to clothe him...
--Isaiah 58:6-7
Diana is a "working" homeless person. She puts in hours at a local
fast-food restaurant and showers every couple of days at a nearby Methodist
church. Sometimes with her earnings, Diana is able to get a good night's
sleep at a Motel 6. She is 62 years old and starts each day with a "Good
morning, God!" then tends to her cat, Shadow. She has found a safe sleeping
place near a hardware store in the San Fernando Valley. She lost her home
years ago, but is hoping to find a permanent place to live.

Cathy, who works at our office, met Diana several months ago when she
stopped by the fast-food restaurant. She was impressed with the woman's
upbeat attitude. When she learned Diana was homeless, Cathy and her husband
decided to help - they have since found her a room to rent. It's one modern
day example of how Christians are not only responding to God's plea in
Isaiah 58, but are salting their communities with the preserving influence
of the Gospel. After all, people like Diana hold a special place in God's
heart (Matthew 25:35).

* * * * * * * *

People like Cathy have a special place in God's heart, too. As they help
someone like Diana, Isaiah 58:9-11 assures that "... the Lord will answer;
you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I. If you do away with the
yoke of oppression... and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry
and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, then your light will rise in the
darkness, and your night will become like the noonday. The Lord will guide
you always..."

Father God, today I will encounter all sorts of people in my community.
Open my eyes to their needs and show me how to make a difference.

Blessings,
Joni and Friends

Taken from Pearls of Great Price. Copyright  2006 by Joni Eareckson Tada.
Used by permission. Zondervan Publishing House, Grand Rapids, Michigan
49530

Objects of His Wrath

All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our
sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were
by nature objects of wrath. But because of his great love for us, God, who
is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in
transgressions-it is by grace you have been saved.
--Ephesians 2:3-6
Read that again. See if something disturbs you. It's talking about
non-believers as "objects of wrath." This was the verse that came to mind
this morning after I drove away from our neighborhood Shell station. The
owner, a delightful man from Amman, Jordan had just finished telling me how
much he was enjoying reading the Joni book in Arabic. "You're a great gal,"
he said, slapping the door of my van. I replied, "Oh, but that's only
because we have a great God." He shrugged his shoulders. I could tell he
didn't get my point. Perhaps through prayer, time, and a few more pages of
the Joni book where I share the plan of salvation, he will.

Until he does - and this is what came to mind as I drove away - he is an
object of God's wrath. But wait! Christ did not die in order to force God
to love us; God the Father came up with the plan to rescue fallen man. "And
so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love..." (1 John
4:16). Praise the Lord, that's good news for my Arab neighbor!

* * * * * * * *

Galatians 3:13-14 makes the good news great: "Christ redeemed us from the
curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: 'Cursed is
everyone who is hung on a tree.'" Should my Arab neighbor come to Christ,
God has no more wrath or anger against him - all his anger was poured out on
Jesus. Hallelujah!

Lord Jesus, thank you for bearing the Father's wrath against my sin.
Hallelujah, Amen!

Blessings,
Joni and Friends

Taken from Pearls of Great Price. Copyright 2006 by Joni Eareckson Tada.
Used by permission. Zondervan Publishing House, Grand Rapids, Michigan
49530

Once Enemies

Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son
will not see life, for God's wrath remains on him.
--John 3:36
When you think of God's wrath, what comes to mind? When I was little, I saw
a painting of Zeus, the Greek god who lived "up there," surrounded by puffy
clouds. He threw lightning bolts at people for the silliest reasons. I
wondered if the God of the Bible was the same way. Was he the kind of God
who would fly-off-the-handle? Was he ill-tempered, mean-spirited, and -
dare I say - flighty?

From today's verse, you can see that the wrath of God is not an emotional
outburst of anger. It is the punishment due for disobedience to God (Romans
1:18). God's wrath is nothing like the anger of a mythical god or a
vengeful human being. His wrath is sinless. It is his punitive justice and
has nothing to do with expressions of cruelty. God is holy - that means he
hates sin. God is just - that means he must punish sin. That should give
us the shivers. We humans have no idea how offensive our sin is against a
holy God.

This is why Jesus Christ's sacrifice is so astounding. Knowing his wrath
would incinerate us in a nanosecond, God came up with the incredible plan
described in John 3:16-18, "For God so loved the world that he gave his one
and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal
life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but
to save the world through him."

* * * * * * * *
The doctrine of the wrath of God offends many people - even Christians.
Nowadays, the love of God is what most Christians concentrate on. But God's
love can never be appreciated until we see what we have been saved from!

Lord Jesus, I will never fully know or appreciate the fact that you absorbed
God's wrath so that I might know his peace. Thank you for such amazing love

Blessings,
Joni and Friends

Taken from Pearls of Great Price. Copyright 2006 by Joni Eareckson Tada.
Used by permission. Zondervan Publishing House, Grand Rapids, Michigan
49530

At Jesus' Feet

As she stood behind him at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with
her tears.
--Luke 7:38
Amazing things happened at the feet of Jesus. Some people fell at his feet,
others kissed them, still others sat in reverence. Bowing low before him
gives a view of life like no other. And miracles are never very far away.

I experienced this recently with my friends, Francie and Judy, on a visit to
the Johns Hopkins Medical Center. In a grand lobby, a 25-foot statue of
Christ towers beneath a four-story glass rotunda. The sculptor fashioned
Jesus looking down with his arms outstretched, as if bestowing a blessing.
We were awestruck. "It's good to be at his feet," I whispered.

Suddenly an officious-looking man approached. "Isn't your name Joni?" he
asked, introducing himself as an administrator at Johns Hopkins. "I'm a
Christian, too," he said. "If there's anything I can ever do to help, let
me know." It was a generous offer, but after we flew home to California, I
forgot all about it. I forgot, that is, until my friend Melanie-who is
rapidly going blind, told me, "My specialist says that the only people who
might be able to do anything are back at Johns Hopkins. But I don't know a
soul there. How would I ever get an appointment?"

Instantly remembering what happened at the feet of the statue of Jesus, I
made a call to the administrator, asking if he would be in touch with
Melanie... and the door opened for her. Before she flew east for her
appointment, I e-mailed her: "Dear Melanie, there's a statue of Jesus you
must see when you go to Johns Hopkins next week. Don't miss it. Amazing
things happen at his feet."

*********
Spend time at his feet today. Worship, weep, repent, pray... or just wait
for his touch. In all the world, there is no better place to be.

Lord Jesus, I fall at your feet this day, wounded on the cross for me. I
quiet my heart in your presence now, and treasure these moments of intimacy
with you.

Blessings,
Joni and Friends

Taken from Pearls of Great Price. Copyright  2006 by Joni Eareckson Tada.
Used by permission. Zondervan Publishing House, Grand Rapids, Michigan
49530

Singing In His Shadow

Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings.
--Psalm 63:7
Under His wings I am safely abiding,
Though the night deepens and tempests are wild,
Still I can trust Him; I know He will keep me,
He has redeemed me, and I am His child.

Under His wings, under His wings,
Who from His love can sever?
Under His wings my soul shall abide,
Safely abide forever.

Yesterday's devotional reminds me of the words to this old Gospel song,
Under His Wings." I often sing it as a prayer in the middle of the night
when I am unable to sleep. During dark hours when my mind is tired or my
thoughts are scattered, I "pray" the safe, reliable words from a
time-honored hymn (I'll sing quietly so as to not wake my husband). One of
two things usually happens: my worrisome thoughts disappear, or I fall
asleep!

In more than a dozen places in Scripture, God bids us to draw close to him
and find shelter - in most places, it says refuge. Or in his wings. Psalm
91:4 says, "He will cover you with his feathers, under his wings you will
find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart." That God
describes himself so often as a powerful and beautiful bird arching his
protective wing over us for our refuge, should tell us something. It should
assure us that we can always find shelter, refuge and safety. That's reason
enough to sing.

* * * * * * * *

Memorize the words to several favorite hymns and tuck them away in your
heart for those late-night restless hours in bed when you can't sleep. Let
God's Word, as well as a Christ-honoring hymn, remind you of his precious
and abiding faithfulness.

Father, you are my shield and barricade against fear and worry. I can sing
in the shadow of your wings because your faithfulness never fails. Help me
to remember this in the middle of the night!

Blessings,
Joni and Friends

Taken from Pearls of Great Price. Copyright  2006 by Joni Eareckson Tada.
Used by permission. Zondervan Publishing House, Grand Rapids, Michigan
49530

Music In The Dark

By day the Lord directs His love, at night His song is with
me.
--Psalm 42:8
I was sitting on the stage at a large pastors' conference in the
Philippines. Outside a heavy monsoon rain fell while the crowd, inside, was
being entertained by a small band of blind musicians. Their music was
intricate and lively and the audience was enthralled with their performance.
Suddenly there was a rumble and a loud crash of lightning. In the next
instant, the entire conference hall went dark. The powerful storm caused
the lights to go out. Unfazed, the musicians hardly skipped a beat, even
though it was pitch-black. When their song was over, the audience burst
into thunderous applause -- the darkness gave us all an unique and amazing
appreciation for the extraordinary talent God had given these blind
musicians.

What really turned up the wattage on the praise that night was
the fact that they played through the dark. The same is true when we live
for God. Sure, our lives resound with praise when he lights our path and we
follow him -a disciple should follow his master. But when there's no light
for your path and you follow him through dark times, the volume and the
intensity of praise to God goes up many more decibels.

* * * * * * *
Do we know the Savior by heart? Have we practiced the presence
of God to the point where, if times went dark, if we couldn't see the
conductor, we would still make His music? Psalm 89:15-17 puts it this way,
"Blessed are those who have learned to acclaim you, who walk in the light of
your presence, O Lord ...For you are their glory and strength." Even
through the darkness.

Keep playing the music, friend. It may be dark out, but keep
playing by heart what you know from years of practice. It's worth the
applause of God.

Father, I wait on you ... I desire to learn your song so that
even in the darkest night, I might declare your praises for all to hear.

Blessings,

Joni and Friends

Taken from Pearls of Great Price. Copyright 2006 by Joni
Eareckson Tada. Used by permission. Zondervan Publishing House, Grand
Rapids, Michigan 49530

Chicken Shelter

I long to dwell in your tent forever and take refuge in the shelter of your
wings. Selah
--Psalm 61:4
My co-worker at Joni and Friends, Billy Burnett, was raised as one of eleven
children in a poor sharecropper's cabin on the corner of the Jimmy Lynch
farm in east Texas. When Billy's father scraped together enough money from
cutting cotton, he moved his family to Texarkana.

When Billy was a little boy, he'd watch his mother - Mama Teal - throw grain
to the chickens in the backyard. He would sit on his haunches and observe
how the chicks would flock around the mother hen. Whenever dark clouds of a
storm gathered and wind would blow, the hen would lift her wing a certain
way and her chicks would come running. Her arched wing was their signal
that danger was near. She was indicating they should scurry and find safety
by her side.

Oh, that you and I were like one of those chicks. Oh, that we would run
without hesitation or question to find refuge in the shelter of God's wing.
Even Jesus, when He looked out over the Holy City, said, "O Jerusalem,
Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent
unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a
hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!" Matthew
23:37 (KJV).

* * * * * * * *

Don't be one of the "would not's" today. When the dark clouds of trouble
start brewing on the horizon, run - don't walk - to find protection near the
breast of God. When the Lord gives you the signal, "Come quickly," take it
as an indication from the Holy Spirit to find refuge under the shelter of
God's wing. There you will be safe from any stormy trial.

Under your wings I am safely abiding, though the night deepens and tempests
are wild. Still I can trust you; I know you will keep me. You have
redeemed me and I am your child.

Blessings,
Joni and Friends

Taken from Pearls of Great Price. Copyright € ¢Â 2006 by Joni Eareckson Tada.
Used by permission. Zondervan Publishing House, Grand Rapids, Michigan
49530

O Love That Won't Let Go

God has said, "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you." So we say
with confidence, "The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid...."
--Hebrews 13:5-6
My friend, Melanie, and I love to sing the old song, "O love that wilt not
let me go, I rest my weary soul in Thee...." We need to. It's not only
because she's holding life together by her fingers and toes, raising two
active little boys and a toddler in diapers, cheering on her pastor-husband,
keeping house, shopping, cooking, and running countless errands.

On top of that, she is going blind. Her world is blurring over. First it
was labels on soup cans. Then it was the aisles in the store. Soon it will
be her children's faces. In an e-mail, Melanie wrote: "The toughest battles
in my life are coming up and it's as though I'm already losing the war! I
feel as though life is leaving me as my vision fades. I have such a sense
that 'In this world you will have trouble....' Joni, I am waiting for the
peace."

I want to stay close on my friend's heels as we journey further into the
fellowship of his sufferings. It's a road no one should walk alone. Me or
you. Melanie, on this eve of your birthday, I'll tell you what. I'll keep
being your eyes, and you keep being my hands. And Jesus will keep holding
us with His grace... his love will not let us go.

********
Jesus has promised never to fail us, never to leave us, never to let us go.
But there are times when we need the warm touch of a fellow traveler along
the sometimes difficult path of life. Will you be our Lord's touch, his
smile, his comfort, his word of encouragement and hope to someone in a dark
place today?

Lord, You have comforted me so many times with a word or a hug or a note
from one of Your children. I'm asking You this day for the opportunity to
pass that love along.

Blessings,
Joni and Friends

Taken from Pearls of Great Price. Copyright  2006 by Joni Eareckson Tada.
Used by permission. Zondervan Publishing House, Grand Rapids, Michigan
49530

Pleasures In Paradise

No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has
prepared for those who love him.
--I Corinthians 2:9
This is hard to believe, but pleasure is not earth's invention. God
invented every delight, and each delectable sensual experience. It is
natural to wonder whether or not in heaven our cravings will be satisfied
(earth is the culprit that keeps itching, tickling, and teasing our desires,
all the while diminishing the possibilities of fulfillment). Will the
pleasures of heaven really be that pleasurable? Consider this unusual but
excellent analogy by C.S. Lewis:

Our present outlook might be like that of a small boy who, on being told
that the sexual act was the highest bodily pleasure, should immediately ask
whether you ate chocolates at the same time. On receiving the answer "no,"
he might regard absence of chocolates as the chief characteristic of
sexuality. In vain would you tell him that the reasons why lovers in their
carnal raptures don't bother about chocolates is that they have something
better to think of. The boy knows chocolate: he does not know the positive
thing that excludes it. We are in the same position. We know the sexual
life; we do not know, except in glimpses, the other thing which, in Heaven,
will leave no room for it. Hence where fullness awaits us we anticipate
[loss].[1]


* * * * * * * *

Earth has conditioned on us to think heaven is a place of less, not more.
But enraptured in heaven's joy, we won't think about carnal pleasures
because we will have something better, something far more pleasurable to
consume us. The delight I experience with my husband Ken is merely a hint,
a whisper -- a bite of chocolate -- compared to the resounding joy that, in
heaven, will sweep me a way in a deluge of ecstasy.

I praise you that every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down
from you, the Father of the heavenly lights. I believe what you tell me:
heaven will be Paradise.

[1] (Page 206 in the manuscript)

Blessings,
Joni and Friends
Taken from Pearls of Great Price. Copyright € ¢Â 2006 by Joni Eareckson Tada.
Used by permission. Zondervan Publishing House, Grand Rapids, Michigan
49530

Joni and Friends Daily Devotional
February 7, 2009

God's Gladness
I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be
complete.
--John 15:11
The other night at 2:00 a.m. I panicked. A bad flu on top of paralysis had
my mind playing weird games. If the Father loves me so much, then why
overload my circuits with all this hardship?! I did a split-screen in my
head; since I couldn't emotionally go to the Father with my panicky feelings
I found myself running to the Son. I realize the Father and the Son are
one, but at 2:00 a.m. with the flu, paralysis and a pounding headache, I
seemed to identify best with Jesus who also suffered.
The next morning after I felt better, I re-anchored my soul deep into the
biblical truth that, yes, the Father is full of love. He is joy and
happiness spilling over. He swims in elation and because the Son is the
exact representation of the Father, both persons of the Trinity are driven
to share that joy with us (Hebrews 1:3). But God is nobody's water boy. As
the solemn king of the universe, he shares his gladness on his own terms.
Those terms call for us to suffer, in some measure, as did his beloved Son
while on earth.
* * * * * * * *
Should we never taste pain when our Savior had to swallow it whole? Jesus
is the Man of Sorrows acquainted with grief; how can we say we know him if
we don't experience at least some of that grief? We may not understand his
reasons, but we are insane to fight him on this issue. He is ecstasy beyond
words and it is worth anything to be his friend - even at 2:00 a.m. with
paralysis and a pounding headache.
Father God and precious Son, thank you that you invite me into your joy in
the fellowship of the Holy Spirit. May my afflictions this day draw me
deeper into your fellowship and may I experience all the divine joy I can
contain!
Blessings,
Joni and Friends
Taken from Pearls of Great Price. Copyright 2006 by Joni Eareckson Tada.
Used by permission. Zondervan Publishing House, Grand Rapids, Michigan
49530

Get Tough On Technology

May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you a spirit of unity
among yourselves as you follow Christ Jesus.
--Romans 15:5
The other night Ken and I had a few co-workers to our house for dinner.
Long after dessert, we were still gathered around the table having a great
time. Lorraine sat back and said, "Isn't this wonderful? Isn't this better
than emailing each other? Don't you despise the way computers have
disrupted this kind of fellowship?" Her comment kick-started a conversation
about technology and the way it has ambushed everyday relationships. We
electronically communicate with people who sit less than 30' away.

Speaking of technology, my friend sitting next to me asked my opinion on
video conferencing. At the other end of the table, Judy pulled out her new
cell phone to show its photograph feature to Doug who, at that point, asked
her how he could send photos off of his phone. Others were giving each
other advice about getting rid of junk mail and, before we knew it, we had
become fractured into tiny little groups advising each other on how we could
live happier and more meaningfully if we used our cell phones to do this...
emails to do that... video this... and voice-mail that. Finally Lorraine
announced, "People, would you look at us?! Here we go again, allowing
ourselves to be splintered apart by technology!" We laughed, but she was
right.

* * * * * * * *

If ever there were a culture in which relationships need to be strengthened
- especially between Christians - it is our culture. Today's reading gives
great advice for any believer who uses a cell phone, answering machine, or
Blackberry. Inspire a spirit of unity among your friends today and write a
personal note (or Valentine card?). Bless your co-workers with a little
encouragement - not by clicking the send button, but by getting up from your
desk and going over to the other cubicle. I think it's what Jesus would do.

Lord God, thank you for the relationships with people you've placed in my
life. May I never take any friendship or working relationship for granted.
Bless my friends this day.

Blessings,
Joni and Friends

Taken from Pearls of Great Price. Copyright € ¢Â 2006 by Joni Eareckson Tada.
Used by permission. Zondervan Publishing House, Grand Rapids, Michigan
49530

Divine Singing

When they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of
Olives.
--Matthew 26:30

Whether I'm wheeling through the office, driving down the
freeway, or puttering in the backyard, I love to sing. My heart wants to
sing whenever I'm enjoying the routines of life. But have you ever wondered
if Jesus sang? It's easy to picture him humming a melody as he walked up
the road from Jericho to Jerusalem. We know they sang in the synagogues.
During the holy feast days, Jesus' family probably sang. There must have
been many times that Jesus' heart filled with joy and he let loose with a
song. So... where in the Bible does it say that he sang?

The only place it records such a time is in Matthew 26:30. The
scene for the song is not on a sunny hillside... it's not as he sailed with
his disciples in the boat... and it's not as he walked along the beach with
his friends. It was in the Upper Room the night that Jesus was betrayed.
After he broke the bread and offered wine, they sang a hymn and then went
out to the Mount of Olives. Of all the times and places, the Lord Jesus
chose to have us remember him singing as he was led off to his death.

This speaks to me in my wheelchair. It shows me how to follow
the Lord in song when my heart is heavy, when I'm facing disappointment, or
when my back aches. As we follow his steps up to the Mount of Olives, into
the Garden of Gethsemane, and down the road to Calvary, we take up our cross
and sing.

* * * * * * * *

Our natural inclination is not to sing when we are sad or
hurting. Yet think of the apostle Paul who sang, despite his chains in jail
(Acts 16:25). No matter if your emotions are up or down, follow the Lord's
lead today and ask God to put a song in your heart

In my heart there rings a melody of love, dear Jesus. You are
my song today and every day. Please keep tuning my heart to sing your
praises.
Blessings,

Joni and Friends

Taken from Pearls of Great Price. Copyright 2006 by Joni
Eareckson Tada. Used by permission. Zondervan Publishing House, Grand
Rapids, Michigan 49530