In this new year, trust and obey him. Keep walking in the light of God’s Word because it’s the best and only way to be happy in Jesus throughout the year.
Hi, I’m Joni Eareckson Tada with a beautiful hymn and a little advice on how to be happy in Jesus Christ. If you know it, sing it with me.
(Joni sings:)
When we walk with the Lord
In the light of His word
What a glory He sheds on our way
While we do His good will
He abides with us still
And with all who will trust and obey
Trust and obey, for there’s no other way
To be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.
Don’t you love that hymn and I love the first line: “When we walk with the Lord in the light of His Word.” That’s how we trust and obey. We trust that God in his word has something life-changing to say to us, and then we obey what he says. It all begins with the Word of God, doesn’t it? Paul certainly knew this when he wrote to the Corinthians, he says in 1 Corinthians 13, “For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face; now I know in part, but then I will know full just as I also have been known.”
Now here’s the background on that verse. Corinth was a famous manufacturing center for mirrors – in Paul’s day, mirrors were made of polished metal. By gazing intently into the sheen of the metal surface, the viewer could have at least a general – if not vague – impression of reality. But the reflection was, at best, a dim shadow of the full-blooded reality. The word Paul used for “dimly” is the Greek term for “puzzle,” “riddle,” or “enigma.” That’s what life is like, Paul was saying. And I think you would agree, even though we are Christians, life can look like a riddle, a mystery. It’s often how I feel about my chronic pain. To me, it is such an enigma. I mean, I would think that God has already gotten my attention through my paralysis, but, well I guess there must be more. And so when I find myself in deep pain, I run to the pages of God's Word; it’s the only way the puzzle pieces of my life – the painful pieces – make sense. Thank the Lord for his word, His truth, his guidance and his wisdom.
And I stay in the Bible every day. From whence cometh my help? My help comes from the Word of God. And so come January, my husband Ken and I will, once again, be reading through the Bible in a year. And I tell you what, the more we read, the less life looks like a riddle; the more clearly, we can see God's hand through every hardship. And here’s the thing – Ken and I would love for you to join us next year in reading through the entire Bible. We’re going to do it chronologically – book by book. So just go to joniradio.org and download your reading schedule so you can keep pace with my husband and me. One more thing, Romans 12:7 says, “When we serve, we should do it well.” Learn how to serve well, by signing up as an intern with Joni and Friends. Get all the details at joniradio.org. That’s joniradio.org. Finally, friend, trust and obey. Keep walking in the light of God's Word because it is the only way, it is the best way to be happy in Jesus all throughout next year. Thanks for listening! This is Joni Eareckson Tada and I’ll see you next time because I love sharing hope!
© Joni and Friends