Welcome to Joni and Friends. I’m your host, Joni Eareckson Tada.
(Joni sings:)
Star light, star bright
First star I see tonight
I wish I may, I wish I might
Have this wish I wish tonight.
I know you’ve said that, and I’ve sure said it many times. On many a bright and starry night, I would wish upon a star, the first star of the evening, asking God to please, please, Lord Jesus, give me back use of my body. I knew that wishing on a star wasn’t the Christian thing to do, but I had read in John 15:7 where Jesus says, “If you remain in Me and My words remain in you, ask whatever you wish [whatever you wish] and it will be given you.” Wow! It sounded like Jesus was on my side. And I was aided on in my wish by other verses like Psalm 37:4: “Delight thyself in the Lord, and He’ll give you the desires of your heart.”
Boy, it looked like God wanted me to have my wish! So I began to follow faithfully the condition of that promise. I began to remain in him, as well as have his words remain in me. And as I did that, I came across some interesting words from the Savior. Words like Acts 14:22 where it says that we must go through many hardships to enter the Kingdom of God. And words like 2 Corinthians 1:5, where we are told that the suffering of Christ must overflow in our lives.
And words from Roman 8:17 explaining that we are coheirs with Christ if, indeed, we share in his sufferings. The more those words abided and remained in me, the more my heart began to soften. And as I remained and abided in Jesus, I found the sweetest most wonderful supernatural strength to endure – to endure hardship like any good soldier of Christ Jesus. Like it says in 2 Timothy 2: I was encouraged to abide even further in my Savior until finally – finally – one dark night when a star up in the sky appeared I found myself saying, “I wish I may, I wish I might have this wish I wish tonight.” As I repeated those words looking up into God’s great heaven, I knew without a shadow of a doubt that God would grant me my wish.
I had delighted myself in the Lord, and I was convinced he’d give me the desire of my heart. And just what was my desire that dark night? What was my wish that evening under the stars? My wish was to simply draw closer to you, Jesus. I wish to know you better. That had become the desire of my heart. Not to rise to my feet, not to get back use of my hands, but to rise to new levels of trust and peace and joy in Jesus.
Friend, what is your wish? When you see a star appear, what do you privately hope for? Well, know this. Jesus says that whatever you wish it will be done for you if his words fill your life and if you abide in him. Funny thing, though, when you do that you end up getting far, far more than you ever imagined, more than you ever could wish for. Because you end up with the bright and morning star himself!
And once again let me remind you of our website, it’s joniandfriends.org. Of course, you can always call and talk to one of our team members by dialing 1-888-522-5664. God’s blessings on you until next time when we get together for Joni and Friends.
Used by permission of
JONI AND FRIENDS
P.O. Box 3333
Agoura Hills, CA 93176
© Joni and Friends