Today if you feel pushed over the edge, fall into the everlasting arms of your Savior because he’s there to catch you – he will never let you go.
SHAUNA: This is Shauna on Joni Eareckson Tada: Sharing Hope. Do you ever feel like God is piling on just a little too much? I know I have! And I know this message from Joni is going to be a great encouragement.
JONI: And I sure felt that way. And so has my friend, Chloe. Her disability does not have her in a wheelchair, but due to a tough battle against cancer in her throat and face, Chloe has a difficult time speaking. Plus, her jaw and mouth are very disfigured, and she struggles so with pain. Recently she shared, “Joni, I am just feeling the need to send out an S.O.S. right now. You know that I trusted the Lord through all of this, but lately I am so discouraged. My voice is so mutated that people cannot understand me, and it makes me feel so different, so separated from everyone else. Sometimes I feel like I just can't take it anymore. I just need an encouraging word from a fellow soldier in the trenches. And so, I’m praying for you too, Joni. I know it's getting harder and harder for you to breathe, and you are in a bunch of pain. So, I lift you up before the throne of grace today, also.”
I know Chloe well and I am fully convinced this young woman is a real champion for Christ. But no matter how valiantly we fight the good fight, we all get weary; we all need an encouraging word now and then. And so, I replied to my friend. I said, “Chloe, I am so very sorry to learn that the encroachments of your disability are affecting your speech more! Being able to communicate is so key; many of my nonverbal friends who have cerebral palsy; they say the same. Believe me, Chloe, I know what you mean when you say: “You just can’t take it anymore.” It happens to me when pain in my hip and back drive me to the edge, and then, God often allows some other difficulty, and it’ll push me off that edge! And it makes me feel so helpless.
But time and again when I feel as though I am falling backward, tumbling over and over, down-for-the-count, decimated, I feel the everlasting arms of Jesus catch me, just like it says in Deuteronomy 33. It says, “The eternal God is thy refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms.” Oh, Chloe, aren’t you glad for that? Whoever said that “God will never give you more than you can bear” had it completely wrong. God will give you more than you can bear, all to the end that you might even collapse and fall against Christ, casting yourself upon him, utterly lacking an ounce of strength to go on. And what happens next is a quiet assurance [what do you know?] that you are going to make it. His strength becomes yours, and lo and behold, you are even enjoying a more intimate fellowship of suffering with your Savior. Friend, that’s what I shared with Chloe, and I share it with you today.
SHAUNA: Now friend, if—if you feel like God is unjust and piling on more than you can bear; well, honestly, I can understand those feelings. And if you feel like you can’t take anymore—or before you start feeling that way—please reach out to us so we can pray for you. Just go to joniradio.org and let us know how we can pray. And finally, if you're feeling overwhelmed by trials, remember what Jesus said in Matthew 24: “He who endures to the end shall be saved.” So, friend, keep enduring. Keep persevering. And if you feel pushed over the edge, oh, fall into the everlasting arms of your Savior because he’s there to catch you, and he will never let you go. He will hold on and see you all the way to the end. And remember, our Joni and Friends team wants to pray for you. So, share your thoughts, your struggles, and your prayer needs with us at joniradio.org. And as always, thanks for listening!
© Joni and Friends