Rivers Of Joy

June is here and Ken and I will soon be packing up for the high Sierras.  

Hi, I’m Joni Eareckson Tada, and after a long year of staying indoors because of coronavirus, I am so, so looking forward to heading up the 395 to the Sierra mountains. Even though we won’t be leaving for a couple of weeks, I can picture it now. Man, I can’t wait to sit by the high-mountain creek which empties into Lake Mary. The late spring runoff from the snow-crested mountains will make it – along with other streams and rivers – it’ll make it sing with a rushing surge of joyful music. But that babbling stream by Lake Mary holds sweet memories of long-ago days when we would camp by its edge. At night its prattling sound would gently put me to sleep, and in the morning, while Ken Tada was over by the campfire frying eggs and bacon, I would park my wheelchair by that creek for a bit of quiet time. Just watching the fast-flowing stream made me think of Jesus’ happy words in John 7 where he says: “Whoever believes in me, out of him shall flow rivers of living water.” 

Just stop and think about that. As we place our trust in Jesus, we’ll become a conduit, a channel, a rushing stream, as it were, of his abundant life, blessing and inspiring and encouraging everyone around us. What a glorious promise and, oh, how I long for rivers of life-giving joy to keep flowing out of me to others. Sometimes, though, my disability can make for some really hard days; difficult, painful days. And that’s when tiny doubts and little discouragements can quickly reduce those “rivers” to but a trickle. But, thankfully, I’ve got enough spiritual sensibility to take note of the drop in the water level. For when my life begins to lack the rushing surge of God’s joy, that’s my cue to take all my doubts, all my discouragements to the Lord Jesus where I know he’s gonna open the floodgates of mercy and revive and refresh my heart. Friend, every day out of you should flow rivers of living water. Out of you should flow encouraging words to your family and friends. Every day out of you should flow comfort where there’s sorrow, and joy where there’s celebration, and prayer wherever and whenever it’s needed. So, please do not allow doubt or discouragement – don’t allow sin – to dry up your “river of living water.” You’re a treasured possession of Christ himself, and Jesus desires to fill you with a raging river of joy. So, bring the sin, bring the doubts, the worries and anxieties to the Lord; open the floodgates of your heart to Jesus Christ, and keep the joy flowing to everyone around you.  

You know, one way to do this is to pray for those around you who hurt. They need to be revived; they need refreshment from God’s Word. So visit joniradio.org today because I want to give you Nancy Guthrie’s new book “I’m Praying for You: 40 Days of Praying the Bible for Someone Who is Suffering.” There are all kinds of Scriptures you can use to pray for your hurting friend who’s struggling with her own doubts and discouragements. So please, the book is a gift to you at joniradio.org. It’s all about praying the Bible over someone who’s really struggling. And, hey, keep holding fast to Jesus through your own struggles; check the water level in your own heart, and if you’re not sensing God’s river of joy and encouragement flowing through you, then invite God to open up his floodgates of mercy. Get the joy flowing and we’ll see you later at joniradio.org. 

© Joni and Friends