Rise and Shine!
Hi, this is Joni Eareckson Tada and for me, mornings are the most difficult time of the day. It was not always that way. When I was a child, I would hear my mother call from downstairs, “Rise and shine!” She sounded so cheery, no wonder I threw back the covers to race downstairs for breakfast.
With her happy greeting, my mother set a great attitude for the morning. Well, she’s long since gone to heaven, but I still think of my mother’s words. Actually, they are the words of Isaiah chapter 60 where the Holy Spirit tells you to, “Arise, shine, for your light has come and the glory of the Lord rises upon you.”
Oh friend, if mornings are difficult for you, filled with aches and pains; if it’s hard to get going, please remember that as you get up out of bed, you are rising for the glory of the Lord. And as you trust Him to help you do that, you will shine. And that’s not simply a motherly sentiment; it’s a word of cheer from the Holy Spirit in Isaiah 60.
God’s Power in Weakness
Looking back on 55 years in a wheelchair, Joni reflects on the Lord’s faithfulness amid her adversity. She shares how trusting God through hardship has given her strength to not only persevere but live with hope and joy!
