In The Agony Of Suffering

“For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake” Philippians 1:29 (ESV)

As we meditate on Christ’s suffering and our own, let’s turn to the voice of Joni Eareckson Tada, who knows pain and long-suffering firsthand. She is truly a remarkable person, and it’s astounding to witness how God’s grace flows through her profoundly broken body.

Joni has lived as a quadriplegic in a wheelchair for over 50 years after a diving accident at age 17 left her paralyzed from the neck down.

Despite these immense challenges, God has used Joni’s brokenness to display His strength and grace in ways she never imagined. She is the founder and CEO of Joni and Friends, a ministry dedicated to sharing the hope of Jesus and offering practical support to people affected by disability worldwide. Joni is also an accomplished author, having written more than 50 books that have inspired millions across the globe. Additionally, she is a radio host, public speaker, artist, disability advocate, songwriter, and singer. Through these roles, she has touched countless lives with God’s love and brought encouragement to the disability community.

Over the years, Joni has faced numerous significant health challenges, including spinal cord injury, chronic pain, breast cancer, and respiratory issues. Yet, these struggles have not driven her away from the Lord but have instead contributed to her strong testimony of faith and perseverance. She is a remarkable person, a living testament to God’s grace in action, and her reflections on pain and suffering continue to inspire and transform hearts. Let’s allow her devotions to touch our hearts.

A Cup of Affliction

“Like Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane, I have asked the Father to remove my cup of suffering. But unlike Jesus, who asked for three times, I have pleaded countless times. Slowly, over the years, I timidly began drinking my cup of affliction. When it seemed I had drunk it to the dregs, I finally realized that embracing God’s hard with with a grateful spirit is the highest expression of faith in him and the most glorious experience a Christian can have.

When our Savior willingly drank that horrific cup, he demonstrated supreme obedience to his Father. Jesus’s flintlike faith proved how much he gladly prized God over his own will. The same can be true for us. To drink the cup God has assigned you opens the way to the most glorious of all delights in the Christian life and shows that you treasure God’s will above your own. It also demonstrates the depth of your love for God as you squelch all complaints and drink your hard circumstances to the dregs. It is clear to all – especially to the watching world – that you rank him far above what suffering has cost you. You are following in the footsteps of Jesus who walked out of Gethsemane, picked up his cross, and stumbled his way up to the bloody hill of Calvary. God the Father glorified Jesus for His obedience, and God will magnify that same Jesus in your life. Does it lessen the weight of your cross? Maybe not. But its weight is heavy enough to ensure that you will keep leaning to him.

"One day the pain of your cross will be exchanged for the pleasure of a crown.”

“O Lord, when the pain becomes overwhelming, help me not to fear, reject, or grumble. Instead, let me expect to meet You there. Transform me and my suffering with Your power and presence. May I come to know You and the power of Your resurrection, sharing in Your sufferings and becoming more like You. Amen.”