When you help someone, God shows you His favor, He blesses your service, and He reserves an award in heaven for you.
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Pain and Providence – Pain and chronic illness can erode your joy like acid and can lead you to question God and his power. Join Joni in taking a close look at what the Bible says about pain and the sovereign providence of God.
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SHAUNA: Welcome to Joni Eareckson Tada: Sharing Hope. One thing I know we all have in common is that we all need so much help. And Joni’s no exception! Lean in now and listen to her.
JONI: When I’m in trouble, when I’m hurting, I need friends. Like, well, I have this one friend who’s a physical therapist. Her name is Kimi, and she’s really good at finding ways to reduce pain. And as you know, I suffer from chronic pain – some days are good, quite bearable, but other days? Man, I can’t wait to get out of this wheelchair and lie down. Especially if it’s on a night when I know that Kimi will come by to help me. As I said, she’s a physical therapist and is busy with her job and her family. But every couple of weeks or so, Kimi volunteers to come by my house, and while I’m lying flat in bed, she pushes, and pulls, and stretches my body, and massages my left hip where the pain is so intense. She does this for the sake of ministry. Kimi knows I’ve got a need, and although she travels and works hard, still, she offers her help here and there and, oh, that is such a ministry to me, such a blessing. My painful hip always feels so much better when she leaves the house.
Psalm 90:17 is a great picture of how the God of the Bible blesses people like me through the hands of others. It says, “Let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us, and establish the work of our hands upon us; yes, establish the work of our hands!” I love that. Because when we need help, in the name of Jesus, when we need help in practical little ways, the favor of the Lord rests upon us, and He establishes it; He blesses that help, the service that we give; He prospers it, fulfills His purpose through it. He establishes the work of our hands and advances all its benefits. And you know what? I believe that Kimi knows that when she offers to help me in my pain. Do you know someone who has a physical need? A hardship or a challenge? Well, true, it isn’t always easy to offer a person a little help—even when it’s obvious they could use it. It’s easier not to get involved. Maybe you’re very busy; you’ve got other things to do, and so it’s convenient to walk by—to pretend you don’t notice. After all, what if you did something wrong? If you didn’t do it right. Well, remember this.
Any—any—act of help done in the name of Jesus will be richly rewarded in eternity. That’s part of what it means for God to establish your work, your service. And just look at 1 Corinthians 3 starting with verse 12. It says, “If anyone builds on [the foundation of Christ] using gold, silver, and costly stones … their work is going to be shown for what it is, because the day will bring it to light … fire’s going to test the quality of each person’s work.” Now, the Apostle Paul speaks of “gold, silver, costly stones,” but that’s only a metaphor for something wonderful, far more valuable and lovely that’s going to shine throughout all of eternity. So, when you help someone, God shows you His favor, He blesses your service, and He reserves an award in heaven for you.
SHAUNA: Well, that describes our friend Kimi so well. And listening friend, it describes you when you find a way to minister to someone else, someone maybe who’s in pain. Because, hey, it’s Pain Awareness Month, and if you know a person who struggles with a painful condition, ask for our free gift, would you? It’s a pamphlet Joni wrote called “Pain and Providence” and you are going to love it because it’s loaded with helpful tips and ideas on how to deal with pain. Ask for your free copy today at joniradio.org. And remember, when you help friends with their struggles, God’s favor is yours; He blesses your service, and a reward is reserved in heaven for you. So, today, don’t forget to visit joniradio.org and ask for Joni’s booklet “Pain and Providence.” God bless you today friend and thanks for listening!
© Joni and Friends