Hear some wise advice from Joni and her good friend Elisabeth Elliot.
Check out Elisabeth Elliot's poem here!
SHAUNA: Welcome to Joni Eareckson Tada: Sharing Hope. Today, Joni has four little words of great advice.
JONI: When I’m in pain; when I’m feel weary of my wheelchair, I look to great saints who have really suffered – and suffered well. And one of those saints is of course Elisabeth Elliot—she’s the missionary who continued to serve the Amazon tribal people; the very ones who murdered her husband. She remained on the mission field with her little girl for many years, persevering through pain to not only serve her Savior, but to carry out the legacy of her beloved husband, Jim Elliot. I cannot begin to imagine the deep grief, the pain, the extensive loss she endured during her missionary service, but in that time, Elisabeth Elliot popularized an old poem—the poem’s commonsense simplicity has encouraged many anxious and weary saints over the decades— including me. And the poem goes like this:
“From an old English parsonage down by the sea, there came in the twilight a message to me; Its quaint Saxon legend, deeply engraven, hath, it seems to me, a teaching from Heaven. And on through the doors the quiet words ring, like a low inspiration: Do the next thing.
“Many a questioning, many a fear, many a doubt, hath its quieting here. Moment by moment, let down from Heaven, time, opportunity, and guidance are given. Fear not tomorrows, child of the King, trust them with Jesus, and do the next thing. Do it immediately, do it with prayer; do it reliantly, casting all care; do it with reverence, tracing His hand who placed it before thee with earnest command. Stayed on omnipotence, safe ‘neath His wings, leave all results, just do the next thing. Looking for Jesus, ever serener, working or suffering, be thy demeanor; in His presence, the rest of His calm, the light of His countenance must be thy psalm, strong in His faithfulness, praise and sing. Then, as He beckons thee, do the next thing.”
Oh friend, there is so many phrases in that poem that ring so true to the suffering one. Be stayed on omnipotence. Anchor your hope to the Rock, Jesus Christ. Fear not your tomorrows because they can be trusted in the hands of Jesus. Look to Christ and let His dear presence be your rest. And sing— be sure to sing as you do the next thing, whether that be the next load of laundry, the next accounts payable report, the next hospital exam, the next meal to prepare, the next bill to pay, or the next Sunday school lesson you prepare, or the next neighbor you counsel. Because when you are in pain or grief, you are tempted to just stop—just stop and collapse. Just throw in the towel. Just let go, give up. When you’re suffering, you’re tempted to abandon your convictions, and just cave in. But don’t. Follow Elisabeth Elliot’s lead and do the next thing.
SHAUNA: This idea is echoed in Philippians 3:12, which is all about straining toward the goal. It says this: “I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.” Oh friend, press on; strive, keep moving forward. And if you’d like a copy of this remarkable poem, you can find it at joniradio.org today. And why not share it with your friends? And hey, by the way, Joni had the honor of speaking at Elisabeth Elliot’s memorial service in 2015, and this poem was printed as a memento. So, consider printing a copy for your friend who is grieving or struggling with chronic pain. And for that matter, it could be just the right prescription for you today, right? Just do the next thing. That’s good advice from Elisabeth Elliot and it’s great advice from Joni. God bless you today and thanks for listening!
© Joni and Friends