Hi, I’m Joni Eareckson Tada with a big picture Bible verse for 2013!
And on this first day of a brand New Year, the Scripture that I’m going to be remembering is Romans chapter 15, verse 13, where it says, “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”
To me, that Bible verse really helps me keep the big picture because, friends, I can get so small, so cramped in my thinking — I mean, a few irritations in the day, or a battle with pain in my hip? And, all of a sudden, everything shrinks. Life begins to reduce in size … it becomes diminished. And all I can see are the problems at hand. And when that happens, I always tell myself, “Joni, c’mon, what’s the big picture here?” Actually, my husband Ken and I say that often to each other. The other day we were in the van driving to work and he forgot something back at the house. I looked at my watch; I had hoped to get to the office early (it wasn't a big deal; it was just what I had hoped) so, we turned around and went back. That secretly irritated me; but then, once we got underway again, he looked at me in the rearview mirror and said, “Joni, can you spare a couple of minutes? I really need to stop at the pharmacy to get my prescription.” Well, the thought flashed through my mind, 'Why didn't you do that yesterday?' But I mumbled, “Okay.” So! While he’s in the pharmacy, I am quietly fuming.
But then, sitting there in the van by myself, I reminded myself what to do when circumstances are out of my control. Yep, God is sovereign. This is not out of His control, and my husband is my number one priority, not always my time schedule. Say what you will, that’s the way I look at my marriage. So as I watched Ken leave the pharmacy and walk toward the van, I said to myself, "Okay, Joni, remember the big picture." And when he opened the door, I was able to smile. I had to fight for that smile, but it was a "big picture" smile. And it was inspired by my big picture verse, “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace — here’s the thing — as you trust in him, that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” That's the way I want to live in 2013. This year I want more of God's joy and peace — which, of course, means trusting him more, the God of hope.
As a follower of Jesus, you have every reason to be hopeful about this new, New Year! And when I speak of hope, I mean that rock-solid, unshakeable confidence in God. With his hope, you are able to see the Big Picture. You have a purpose for living and a joyful anticipation for what God is doing in your life. With hope in your heart, life is no longer small … it’s a big adventure to live!
So, this year, I want you and I to keep focused on the Big Picture, especially when little irritations begin to eat away at your peace of mind. And to help you, I want to send you an excellent little book titled simply "Guidance." It will help you understand God's plan of hope and a future for your future this year. Just go to my radio page today when we're finished here at joniandfriends.org and ask for your copy of the booklet called "Guidance." The insights and it will help you remember the big picture for 2013. Because, friend, there are absolutely no hopeless circumstances or moments in store for you this year. None! That's a promise. And my prayer for you as we begin this new year together is simply this, “Lord Jesus, may the God of hope fill my listening friend with all joy and peace as he or she trusts in you, so that my friend will overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”
© Joni and Friends, 2013
Compliments of Joni and Friends
PO Box 3333 Agoura Hills, CA 91376