Whatever earthly trouble you find yourself in, you have a mighty witness in heaven right now, who loves you, prays for you, and has got all the details covered. Jesus knows what you can, with his grace, handle and cannot handle.
Hi, I’m Joni Eareckson Tada and I’ve got an encouraging word for you today.
Because I just bet there are plenty of times you have felt like no one is on your side, right, no one is taking up your cause, no one cares when you are hurting. It’s hard enough to suffer; but it’s even harder when you feel like you’re totally alone in your pain and problems. Well, if I’m describing you, I have a very uplifting word for you from the book of Job; because there is a man with problems, and absolutely no one in his family – none of his friends – none of them were taking up his cause. He felt completely alone, and justifiably so. But, in the midst of terrible anguish and affliction, Job looks up through a fog of grief and pain and sees something in a flash of spiritual insight. In the 16th chapter of Job, he cries out, [now get this] he says, “Even now my witness is in heaven; my advocate is on high. My intercessor is my friend…on behalf of a man he pleads with God as a man pleads for his friend.” Don’t you love those two words, “Even now”? Whatever your life situation at this very moment, even now, at this instant, oh my goodness, you’ve got a witness, you’ve got an advocate, you’ve got an intercessor, and a friend in heaven, making the case for you before the father. Now that encourages my heart, and I hope it does yours, because right now, you have in heaven a witness. It says in Job, you have an advocate, an intercessor, and a friend. Those four things mean that you have someone who sees, someone who is taking up your case, someone who is pleading on your behalf, and someone who is your friend. And that very good friend is Jesus himself, friend of sinners, the son of God, the creator of all that is.
Whatever your circumstance, whatever your medical diagnosis and doctor’s prognosis, whatever your level of pain, your bank balance, your credit score, your employment status or marital status, whatever earthly trouble you find yourself in, you have a mighty witness in heaven right now, this instant, who loves you, prays for you, and is completely tuned in to your situation. He not only knows all the details, he’s got all those details covered. He knows what you can, with his grace, handle and what you cannot handle. And one more thing – this witness, this advocate and intercessor and friend gave his life for you. And if someone would go that far as to lay down his very life for you, not out of compunction, but out of love, then you know beyond a shadow of a doubt that he can be trusted, completely and without reservations.
Oh and please, know that we at Joni and Friends care about your struggles too. Our staff gathers every morning to intercede on behalf of friends like you who contact our ministry in need of prayer. Whether it’s an upcoming surgery, or a prodigal child gone astray, or the salvation of a family member or a painful chronic condition for which you just need endurance, contact us today at joniradio.org. We want to hear from you, and we want to join our Savior in heaven in interceding for your special needs. Again, just write us your prayer request at joniradio.org. And then, please keep us posted on how you’re doing and what’s going on. In fact, join me in prayer right now as together we ask, “Even now, Lord Jesus – even now. We don’t have to wait in line for your attention, we don’t have to earn your mercy, work for your favor, or cry out endlessly for your understanding. Even now, you are our advocate, pleading with the father on our behalf. So Lord, as best we know how, we rest in your love today, and trust you to do what’s best. After all, you gave your life for us and for that, we’re truly grateful.”
© Joni and Friends