My struggle has been with sin for years. Even after I was saved as a young boy. You know, you want to fit in, be one with the crowd, whatever your justification is, it is still sinning. But when I was diagnosed with ALS, my wife, Julie and I were devastated! We had no idea what was ahead of us!
Yet, in all of this, I was drawn more to God. Yes, Julie and I went through the different phases of grief. Still, I was drawn to my Savior. Even in my condition, allowed by God, knowing that everything was going to change for my wife and family, I was still drawn.
So what was I to do with it? Well, I got back to reading my Bible through Kindle through my eye gaze since I am no longer able to turn pages with my fingers or talk. And I signed up for devotionals with Joni and Friends. Joni has been dealing with disability for 55 years! I wanted to see her perspective on life. It was comforting to know that she credits her very productive life to her Savior, Jesus Christ! Below is a recent devotion from Joni Eareckson Tada:
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 “You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.” Genesis 50:20 Why the Wheelchair?By Joni Eareckson Tada Today, 55 years after I made that dive into shallow water, snapping my neck and totally derailing plans for my future, I now know why God allowed it. I know for certain. That reason is found in Genesis, in the story of Joseph, a man who was sold by his brothers into slavery in Egypt and confined to prison for years.In the beginning of my years of paralysis, when I was struggling with why God allowed my accident, I felt like Joseph: confined and enslaved. Over time, those feelings of confinement dissipated as I learned to trust God. Then I started Joni and Friends and began sharing my testimony among people with disabilities. I even traveled to the far corners of the world to share my story, and everywhere I went, I was amazed to see people open their hearts to Jesus Christ. I resonated with Joseph even more when I returned to his story and read Genesis 50:20, a verse that revealed God’s plan all along. Here Joseph said to his wicked brothers, “You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good.” I focused on that first part, clinging to the promise that God would bring good from the harm I had suffered. But when I turned my attention to the second half of Joseph’s words to his brothers, I was amazed. Joseph understood that God intended his suffering “for the saving of many lives.” That’s when it clicked. God intended my suffering to be a platform for the saving of many lives! And all these years through the ministry of Joni and Friends, we’ve seen thousands of people and families who struggle with disabilities open their hearts to Jesus Christ. My ‘diving accident’ was for the saving of many lives. My heart breaks to think that the suffering people endure here on earth may only be a dark omen of worse suffering to come if they do not have the chance to hear about and respond to Jesus Christ. This is why I broke my neck. There are, indeed, more important things in life than walking or having use of my hands. The most important thing is finding hope in Christ and helping others do the same. And this is why I celebrate each of these 55 years I’ve lived in my wheelchair. My paralysis has been God’s means of reaching more people with his gospel. Does that seem harsh to me? Not when I think of the thousands of people with and without disabilities who, otherwise, would never have heard about Jesus. So, today, as I bow my head and thank God for his amazing plan in my life, I hope you’ll be able to do the same for the suffering he’s allowed in yours. Because Genesis 50:20 was written for you, too. God has allowed your suffering for the saving of the many lives around you. Celebrate that with me! Pray with me: Father, I thank you for what you’ve allowed me to suffer. Yes, it has been for the testing of my faith and to make me more like Jesus. But I thank you that you’ve purposed more through suffering than just a private, personal work. I thank you that you’ve intended my suffering to be for the saving of many lives—people I know and even some I don’t. Give me eyes to see what you are accomplishing through my hardships so I can celebrate the saving of many lives. On the 55th anniversary of her diving accident, we can honor Joni and the work God continues to do through Joni and Friends to share the Gospel with those living with disability and others around the world. Give $55 to help us provide dignity, practical care, and the good news of Jesus. Give $55 Today! |
Adapted from Joni and Friends Radio Copyright © 2022All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible: New International Version. |
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How have I been impacted after reading my Bible and spending time in devotions? Well, God allowed it and after grieving over it, I have accepted it. I’m very thankful that God drew me back to him! It’s because of Christ’s love for me, he died for me, for all of mankind. He bore the sins of the world by dying on the cross! So we can all be saved by repenting of our sins with one simple prayer: God, I have sinned and I am sorry for sinning, please forgive me. You sent your one and only Son, Jesus, to die for my sins and I thank you. I pray this in Jesus ‘ name, amen. If you prayed this prayer, then by all means, let someone know about it! Find a good local church to attend and begin your walk with Jesus!