The Holy Spirit can’t bring a Bible verse to your mind that you’ve never read. Hide God’s Word in your heart so that, when you suffer, it’s the first thing you think of. You never know when you may need to draw on Scripture!
The Holy Spirit can’t bring a Bible verse to your mind that you’ve never read. Hide God’s Word in your heart so that, when you suffer, it’s the first thing you think of. You never know when you may need to draw on Scripture!
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Joni’s 73rd birthday is coming up and you can join her in celebrating God’s faithfulness!
Celebrate with Joni
Joni and Friends envisions a world where every person with a disability finds hope, dignity, and their place in the body of Christ. Get involved at joniandfriends.org or on TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube.
This is Joni Eareckson Tada sharing hope.
And I’ve got some special friends for you to meet. I’ve shared their story before – Andy and Linda Barrick and their children, Josh and Jennifer. The Barrick family had never known real tragedy until the night their van was struck head-on by a drunk driver. Every family member in that van sustained injuries, but 15-year-old Jennifer’s severe head trauma was life-altering. Emerging from a five-week coma Jennifer had to relearn everything, beginning with walking and talking.
JONI: Linda, welcome.
LINDA: Thank you.
JONI: And you too, Jennifer! I’m so glad you could be here.
JENNIFER: Thank you so much.
JONI: What was that like watching your child emerge out of that coma unable to recognize even a toothbrush or a shoe? What were your feelings?
LINDA: Well, the doctors had warned us that Jen would probably be cursing and be very aggressive and angry, so we were prepared for the worst. The most miraculous thing happened though. During this time as Jennifer was thrashing back and forth and had no control over her bodily movements, she just started praising the Lord out loud and praying to him for hours. And the only time we could understand her, the only time her voice was clear was when she was praying and talking to God and all she did was praise him. She would say, “Lord you’re so good, you’re so faithful,” and she kept saying over and over again, “Thank you for healing me and raising me up.” And she couldn’t even sit up; she doesn’t even know she was hurt. She was praising him in advance for what was going to happen.
JONI: Now, Jennifer, that’s remarkable because again, statistics would show that you should have been angry, but here you were quoting Scripture and even praise choruses. Am I right?
JENNIFER: Yes.
JONI: What were the words to that?
JENNIFER: Well, the song was “Lord, You’re Holy” and I sang that song the night of the car accident in the choir concert and the words to this song are just so powerful. They describe the different attributes of God and explain how he is wonderful, glorious, holy, and righteous, victorious, conqueror, triumphant, and mighty. You’re my healer, my deliverer, shield, and defense, strong power, and my best friend.
JONI: This makes me feel that when you were a young teenager before this tragic automobile accident that you must have spent a lot of time in God’s Word, is that right?
JENNIFER: Yes!
JONI: Did you go to Awana, or…?
JENNIFER: Yes, I was in Awana for many years and I have always gone to a Christian school, so we would be required to memorize a Bible verse every week.
JONI: Linda, to me your daughter, Jennifer, so beautifully reflects that portion of Scripture from Matthew 12, right?
LINDA: Yes. That verse in Matthew 12:34 says, “For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks” and Jennifer had poured into her heart and her life Scripture, God’s Word. God’s Word is alive and powerful and so when she went through this tragic time and she was squeezed that’s what came out of her. And it was unbelievable how somebody who was so injured and didn’t know who she was or where she was, she knew all of those verses she had hidden in her heart. And you know Joni, when we go through a hard time the Holy Spirit can’t bring a verse to our mind that we’ve never read or that we’ve never memorized; and it’s so important that we’re hiding God’s Word in our heart, and that as parents and mothers that we are encouraging our children to hide God’s Word in their heart because we never know when they’re going to need that to draw from.
JONI: And you have illustrated that so beautifully.
And one more thing – we here at Joni and Friends would love to pray for you in your troubles, so share with us your prayer need today at joniradio.org. Again, that’s joniradio.org. We want to hear from you, and we want to join our Savior in heaven in interceding for your special needs.
© Joni and Friends