The Way Through
Hi, I’m Joni Eareckson Tada and you will get through this!
I heard Max Lucado say that recently in one of his daily devotionals and given that we’re all still floundering a bit in this uncertain season with coronavirus, I thought you might like to be reminded of his comments. Max calls the devotional “Deliverance Comes” and reminds us of things we know to be true, but sometimes we forget. And so, he reminds us; and he says, “You will get through this! You fear you won’t. We feel stuck, trapped, locked in. Will we ever exit this pit? Yes! Deliverance is to the Bible what jazz music is to Mardi Gras – bold, brassy, and everywhere. Out of the lion’s den for Daniel, the whale’s belly for Jonah, and [the] prison for Paul. Through the Red Sea onto dry ground. Through the wilderness, through the valley of the shadow of death. Through! It’s a favorite word of God’s! Isaiah 43:2 says, ‘When you pass through the waters, I will be with you…when you walk through the fire, you’ll not be burned.’ [Now] it won’t be painless. Have you wept your final tear, received your last round of chemotherapy? [No], not necessarily. Does God guarantee the absence of struggle? Not in this life. We see Satan’s tricks and ploys but God sees Satan tripped and foiled. [Friend], you will get through this!”
Good on you, Max. And I think you can see why this devotional caught my attention. So many of us still are floundering, trying to find our way through this new normal. We’re waiting for things to settle down, even out; looking for where we fit, wanting life to be more predictable. Yet even after all this time, things are still in flux, aren’t they? Students right now feel this; you feel it with your neighbors, at the store, at church.
Yes, we all know that if God brings us to it, he will bring us through it. But what will it take to get through this strange season of upheaval and transition? Well, as you know, I’m pretty much still in isolation. And there has been one Bible verse that’s been my guide. My husband Ken reminds me of it every morning when I get up in my wheelchair; we rehearse it together when he helps me back in bed at night. What helps us get through is Romans 12:12. Listen to this: “Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, and faithful in prayer.” It’s like a flashlight, that Bible verse, illuminating these confusing times. Be joyful in hope? Come on; yeah you can, you’re a believer. You know that Jesus will return to take you to heaven with him. That’s your hope. And that’s my assurance. It’s more than just a carrot dangling at the end of a stick; biblical hope helps you get through it.
Next? Be patient in affliction. Look, all this is only temporary. There’s an end to this difficult season, and what’s more, God says it’s glorious. So, hang in there. The more patient you are, the more you will persevere; and the more you’re able to endure. Finally, be faithful in prayer. In other words, pray without ceasing. Be loyal to God and keep coming to him with your fears, your needs, your praise, your confession, your petition. Because we all will get through this. And let me share one more line from Max Lucado; he said:
“Out of the lion’s den for Daniel, the whale’s belly for Jonah, and [the] prison for Paul. Through the Red Sea onto dry ground. Through the wilderness, through the valley of the shadow of death. Through! It’s a favorite word of God’s!” So, friend, be joyful in hope. Patient in affliction. Faithful in prayer. It is the way through.
God bless you today and thanks for listening to “Joni and Friends!”
© Joni and Friends
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Finding God in Hidden Places
Joni invites you to join her as she explores the presence of a holy God in hidden places.
Words of encouragement, comfort, and insight leave the soul satisfied and longing to be closer to a loving Father, who often shows up when least expected.
