Next time you feel discouraged, sing a hymn, recite Scripture, or memorize a poem and then trust in God.
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Lessons From a Hospital Bed – Reflecting on ten lessons he learned while recovering in the hospital, John Piper encourages those struggling with illness to fight for faith by focusing on the promises of God, the truth of the gospel, and the reality of eternity. Use the coupon code: RADIOGIFT for free shipping!
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SHAUNA: Hi, I’m Shauna on Joni Eareckson Tada: Sharing Hope. Listen in as Joni explains how well she knows hospitals.
JONI: I wish I didn’t, but over the years I’ve become all too acquainted with their stale corridors and ice-cold operating rooms. It started back in 1967 when a reckless dive into shallow water snapped my neck, leaving me a quadriplegic. When they rushed me to the hospital on that hot July afternoon, I had no idea I would not be discharged until April of 1969. One morning I was lying on a gurney in the hallway outside of urology clinic. And after two hours of waiting, lying there counting the ceiling tiles, a lab worker finally came out to announce that I would be “first after lunch break.” And as the urology staff headed to the cafeteria, I just watched them go down the hallway and my heart sank.
I did not dare cry because there was no one around to wipe my tears. So, I decided to comfort my soul with a hymn. In no more than a whisper, I sang a favorite from church choir: ‘Be still my soul, the Lord is on thy side; bear patiently the cross of grief or pain. Leave to thy God to order and provide; in every change He faithful will remain! Be still my soul, thy heavenly Friend through thorny ways leads to a joyful end!’ I was only 17 years old, but that moment defined how I would engage life in a hospital. My stay, I determined, would not be a jail sentence. I purposed that that hospital would be, well, it would be a gymnasium for my soul.
Look, I was enough of a Christ-follower to know, oh my goodness, I had to hold onto biblical hope, or else I would go crazy. Even after I was released from the hospital in 1969, I would not allow myself to sink into suicidal despair. That small resolute act made all the difference; not only then, but it set the high bar for my battle against stage III cancer later on and my chronic pain. You don’t have to be in a hospital or use a wheelchair like me. There are times when you will feel like you are going crazy, wondering how you will live through all your hardships and heartaches. Well, take it from a veteran – set the high bar in your battle against despondency by holding onto biblical hope. Find an anchor in Scripture, a favorite psalm, a snippet of a proverb. Or pick a timeless stanza from an old hymn or memorize a few lines from an inspirational poem. And use that Scripture, use that hymn or poem as your resolute act of defiance against discouragement. And then trust in God. And I repeat, trust in God. Just do it!
SHAUNA: And to help you do it, John Piper has written an excellent little booklet called “Lessons from a Hospital Bed” that we want to send to you today as a free gift. You don’t have to be in a hospital to appreciate his lessons, so visit joniradio.org and ask for “Lessons from a Hospital Bed.” And finally, today, trust in God. Roll up your sleeves, face your problems, and put aside that complaining spirit, and just do it: have confidence, have trust in God. And remember to go to joniradio.org today!
© Joni and Friends