No matter what your trial is today, reach out in faith to Jesus. Remember, faith is the empty hand that earnestly lays hold of the grace of God.
Hi, I’m Joni Eareckson Tada, sharing hope with you today.
You know when I’m at the office of Joni and Friends and having a hard day; when I’m faced with a deep disappointment and I have no words to express it; when I’m floundering, I sometimes wheel over to a painting that’s hanging in one of the side rooms of our office – it’s in the room adjacent to my office actually and my friend Ron DiCianni gave the painting to me years ago. It’s his rendering of the woman in Scripture with the hemorrhage, you know, from Mark 5, pushing through the crowd, crawling on her hands and knees, reaching out to Jesus, leaning, arm stretched, desperate and hoping to touch the hem of his cloak. It’s beautifully painted, and what’s unusual is, Ron painted the woman in a modern-day skirt and blouse. And his contemporary treatment gives the painting such relevance for today. Anyway, when I’m struggling, I sit there in front of that work of art, and I just breathe deeply and take it all in. And without saying a word, I let that painting speak for me. Because the image of that woman straining to reach Jesus totally conveys all that is in my heart. The longing for him; the hope, the assurance that he is there, that he’s by my side, that I’m not alone, that he’s the answer to my need. It’s really odd but sometimes that painting is like a prayer of faith for me.
Now faith is often hard to define. It’s hard to put in words. But over the years, my disability has taught me that faith looks very much like that painting. As the Bible says, it’s the substance of things you hope for. It is the hand reaching out in hope, it’s reaching to grasp the garment of the righteousness of Jesus. Faith is the empty hand that earnestly reaches out and lays hold of the grace of God. Faith is the urgent expectancy that comes humbly before God. And, oh, does it delight the Lord. I mean, no wonder that Jesus was moved deeply by that woman who was bleeding, even calling her his daughter. It’s because her faith was empty-handed, expectant, and filled with so much hope. And so, Jesus was pleased to turn around and answer her need. Hebrews 11:6 says, “Without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who approaches him must believe… that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.” Man, I like that word “earnestly” in describing our faith. It’s the idea of eagerly seeking Jesus, pushing through the crowd and believing that he is the answer to your deepest longings.
Faith is how the soul responds when it knows it needs Jesus. Faith is a pathway, a vehicle that connects you to the grace of God, so that you can receive strength to obey him. So, on those hard and disappointing days when I have no energy to move forward into life; when I feel deflated, I remember the woman in Mark 5. And like her, I push through the crowd of my sad thoughts. I reach out my empty hand and, with all my heart, I lay hold of Christ. And I say to him, “Jesus, I trust you, not just your promises. I trust you. You died for me and that makes you more than trustworthy. Oh and Jesus, you’ve seen me through so much, I know that now, you’d never fail me!” So, no matter what your trial is today, reach out in faith to Jesus. Remember, faith is the empty hand that earnestly lays hold of the grace of God. Oh, and if you’d like to see the painting that Ron de Cianni rendered, I’ve posted it today at joniradio.org.
© Joni and Friends