Every day, the Lord is watching over you, spreading his protection over you. So, friend, sing for joy.
Hi, I’m Joni Eareckson Tada, sharing hope.
And you can experience the hope of Jesus anywhere around the world, and often, in some of the darkest, most difficult parts of the world. Places where good quadriplegics like me have no business going! I mean, my body isn’t in the best of shape, and I’m susceptible to all sorts of infections. But I love to go where people with disabilities are the neediest; places where they are overlooked, passed by, and downright scorned. And so, some years ago, I was determined to go to Africa with our Wheels for the World outreach. But Ken Tada and I knew that we had to take special precautions because of my quadriplegia. And so, was I prepared to travel to Africa. I mean, I went to the doctors, was stuck with every kind of shot; yellow fever to hepatitis. I took malaria pills. Immune boosting pills. And when, on my final visit, I left the doctor's office, I relaxed, convinced that now, it was up to God and his protection over me. For the 2 weeks that I was in Africa, I was extremely careful with the food and water. I became doubly cautious when, midway through our trip, everyone else was running to the restroom. We all knew that if I became sick with that same stomach flu, it would be awful – I mean, it’s not like I can just jump up and run to the bathroom, right?
And so, mealtimes remained a challenge. To make things worse, I lost my special spoon [it’s one that I always use to feed myself]. My friend thought she had cleaned it off after breakfast and put it back in my handbag. But it wasn’t there. I was a little demoralized, knowing that someone would have to feed me. So, I asked the Lord to please show me where that spoon is, but God was quiet on the subject. Nevertheless, every day, I prayed, “Please let me find that spoon!” But… no answer from the Lord. The special spoon remained lost. But then, at the close of the trip during our very last meal, I was struck by a razor-sharp, crystal-clear thought: “Joni, you lost your spoon because it was contaminated. Had you used it, you would have become very sick.”Immediately I blurted this thought out to my friends at the table, and one of them gasped, "Oh, Joni!” She said, “God just told me that exact same thing this very instant." So God had broken his silence. He was no longer quiet on the subject. And neither was I. I kept praising him, happy to not only be healthy, but to be able to learn a very valid reason for the disappearance of my spoon!
Psalm 5:11 says, "But let all who take refuge in you be glad; let them ever sing for joy. Spread your protection over them that those who love your name may rejoice in you." And that’s exactly what God did on that trip to Africa. He had spread his protection over me, and I couldn’t stop praising him and singing for joy. You know, I’m certain you have felt the same when you’ve experienced God’s miraculous hand of protection over you. We say it all the time when we offer up the Lord’s prayer. We pray to God, "Deliver us from evil." So, when you see God doing that in your life – protecting and safeguarding you from injury or evil or harm – be glad and rejoice in your Savior. Every day, the Lord is watching over you, constantly warding off a thousand different bugs and bacteria, accidents, illnesses, and injuries. So, friend, sing for joy. He has spread his protection over you. Oh, and one more thing. I want to send you a copy of our Joni and Friends newsletter, so just go to joniradio.org.
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