Joni Eareckson Tada

The Passion of Suffering and Grace

/ pastorpete51 / Leave a comment 
We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne. Hebrews 12:2 NLT

As Christians we are on a journey, not at a final destination. Our road here on earth is sometimes perilous, confusing and difficult. Jesus told us it would be that way, but He also offered us the hope of His presence, His promises and His power to go with us all along the way. The final hours of the life of Jesus are called His passion, and He has called us to pick up our crosses, and His passion to follow Him and carry His love to those around us. In today’s video, I was struck by the fact that even after all these years of disability, suffering, and ministry, Joni still has that kind of passion for others. As we begin Lent on this Ash Wednesday, let’s pause for a moment and turn our eyes to the example of Jesus. He didn’t skip joyfully down the pathway of life, but for the joy that lay ahead, He endured the suffering of the cross with the passion of God’s love. He took time for His mother, for a young and frightened disciples, for a thief, and even to pray forgiveness for His enemies. He lived and He died with a passion that lights the way before us. So, this morning, however dark your journey may be, keep looking to Jesus, because He is the only one who can help, and He willingly did so with a passion that carried Him through death to Life and the sunrise of Easter morning!

Quiet Sunday Thoughts

/ pastorpete51 / 5 Comments 
And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
2 Corinthians 12:9 KJV

“My weakness, that is, my quadriplegia, is my greatest asset because it forces me into the arms of Christ every single morning when I get up.” Joni Eareckson Tada

“So, we ask you very humbly from our hearts, dear Holy Father in Heaven: Give us grace that we might pray to You aright.”

from Amish Prayers by Beverly Lewis

Fighting Depression with Thankfulness

/ pastorpete51 / 8 Comments 
Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted in me? hope thou in God: 
for I shall yet praise him for the help of his countenance. Psalm 42:5 KJV

Some of my favorite memories and best life lessons come from the decades I spent working high in the treetops. This morning as I was struggling with the Winter blues and feeling overwhelmed with doubts, I remembered fighting with a heavy limb directly over my head that I was cutting while suspended sixty feet above the ground. My options were limited and the consequences of failure high, but then my foreman called up to me, “Just get mad at it Pete!” His advice got my attention just long enough so I could focus my energy on the solution and not the problem. A tree limb was not what David was struggling with in today’s verse, but his advice sounds a lot like something my old foreman would have approved of. With every reason to be afraid and a laundry list of problems facing him, David decided that the best place to begin was his own soul. He just gets mad at it! “Hope thou in God!” he cries. “Stop whining! Praising God is what your job is, so let’s get with it” (Okay maybe I stretched the Hebrew a little thin here, but you get the idea!) Sometimes we just have to read ourselves the riot act. Our soul is always looking for an easy way out of problems, but no matter our situation or how long the journey, we have to remind ourselves from time to time that God has not left the scene. He is still worthy of our praise, and able to help us. Our job is to be thankful, even if it means getting mad at the situation so we can focus again and put our trust completely in Him!

I enjoyed this recent devotional testimony from Join Eareckson Tada on how she fights off depression. Her battles are far more severe than most of us are facing and I love her idea of making a list of things to thank God for. We are all fighting the same enemy and there is nothing he hates more than hearing how great our God is. So, “Get mad at it!” if it helps. Join David in telling your soul to get with it! You just might be amazed how God will answer and come to help in ways we never dreamed!