Spending time in God’s Word every day can be an important investment in your marriage and in general – your relationship with Jesus.
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SHAUNA: This is Shauna, on Joni Eareckson Tada: Sharing Hope. With a few thoughts from Joni.
JONI: Well, I always love it when my husband Ken Tada comes up to the microphone to spend a few minutes here.
KEN: Oh, boy. What a treat Joni.
JONI: Because you are one happy guy.
KEN: Well, I’m happy for a number of reasons. I’m happy because of Jesus Christ in my life. You know, as I’ve gotten older, I’ve realized just how important that’s been a part of who I am.
JONI: And I think the disability in our marriage, right?
KEN: There’s something to be said about suffering.
JONI: Yeah.
KEN: And you are probably the epitome of someone who goes through suffering, yet God has complete control of your life, and it shows every day.
JONI: Well, He has control over your life as well and I think one of the things that really helps our marriage – my goodness, it’s the amount of time we spend in the Word of God. It’s every day and it’s together – you and I.
KEN: Yeah, I think we’ve realized over the years now how important it is to have that time together. Not only in prayer, but also in reading God’s Word. And I’ve learned so much – especially, you know, we’ve had our little discussions after our periods of reading and –
JONI: Pull out the maps, pull out the commentaries.
KEN: Oh, I remember back in Acts – you know, when we were using the Bible commentary maps, and there was about Paul’s journeys. And looking at his three journeys and realizing – boy, he traveled a lot and he did it on foot or sail you know! But either way, he moved around quite a bit.
JONI: You know, I’ve heard some couples say: “Well, that’s good for you and Ken but I don’t have time.” I often think, okay, after – let’s say, you do dishes, kids are going to bed. Are you sitting down to watch Netflix? Are you sitting down on the couch to watch Hulu? There’s your time right there.
KEN: Yeah, I don’t think that’s a good excuse – that I don’t have time because you can make time. And as you said whether it’s you know, being on your phone, or social media, a little time on the computer, or watching television – you can make time.
JONI: Some people might say, “But this is my relaxed time watching this special show. It’s relaxing.” Well, does that mean reading the Bible is work? Well, sure, it might be in the beginning and even for a year or two. But there comes a time when “Aw man!”
KEN: You look forward to it.
JONI: You really look forward to it. And Ken in a way, I think that our reading the Bible together has been a kind of family worship for us.
KEN: Oh, absolutely.
JONI: And family worship can be you and your husband, or if you’re single, just yourself, or a neighbor, or you and your roommate – whatever. Sitting down with the Word of God and reading the Word of God and asking the Holy Spirit to open your eyes. And show you Jesus in these pages of Scripture His worship. And then you finish it off with prayer and maybe a short song, praise song. And there you have it – family worship every single day.
KEN: And we have found that that has been so invaluable in just who you and I are in our marriage.
JONI: Well, if anybody wants to join us, of course my 2026 planner has the daily Bible reading schedule right in the back there. We publish it every year for anybody who might want to read along.
KEN: And it’s chronological. You know, Joni, I’ve seen our time together reading the Word as an investment. It’s an investment in our marriage. It’s an investment in how we spend time with Jesus and how He can be trusted for the future.
JONI: Absolutely. Those are the returns on that amazing investment that we do every single day. I’m just glad Ken that you’re the kind of husband who wants to take that leadership in our home. So, thank you for family worship – the time that we spend in the Word every day.
KEN: I consider it a privilege.
© Joni and Friends