Q: How Do I Persevere Through Trials?

A.

I live not only on bread and water; I live on the promises of God.

It’s a miracle that I’ve survived 70 years of quadriplegia! Several women have asked the secret to my good health and happy spirit. I could rattle off the liters of water I drink, my limits on red meat, or that I gulp down apple cider vinegar twice a day, but that’s not half of it.

When it comes to God's promises, I must be more than a hearer. I have to be a doer. My disability requires it.

A while back, my husband Ken was driving me to Joni and Friends.  Pain in my hips and back had awakened me that day, and by the time I sat up in my wheelchair, my spirits were sagging. I wheeled into my van, but as we were driving up the freeway, I almost asked Ken to turn around and take me home. I was miserable.

Usually on our way to work, we pray together in the van, but I had no strength for that.  Instead, I whimpered, “God, where is the comfort you promise?” Out of nowhere, a familiar Bible verse popped into my mind, Psalm 119:50: “My comfort in my suffering is this: Your promise preserves my life.” Joni, there’s your comfort; the Spirit seemed to be whispering, “lean on God’s promises.”

I decided to act on the Spirit’s advice; that is, the assurance that God’s promises actually revive and restore the life of a Christian who is hurting. For the rest of the drive, I spoke aloud every promise I could recall.

If your soul is feeling cracked and dry, if you are weary of persevering through a tough trial, tuck a healthy handful of God’s promises into your heart.

Ken gave me a surprised look in the rear view mirror when he heard me say forcefully, “Lord, You promise that You are my ever-present help in trouble. You promise that Your grace is more than sufficient for my every need. Your Word assures me that You will never leave or forsake me. You promise in Deuteronomy to be the One who will go out and fight for me.”

The closer we got to our destination, the more insistent I became. “And the book of Joshua tells me that You will be with me wherever I go. You promise You are a refuge for the oppressed, and a stronghold in times of trouble. You promise to counsel me and watch over me, and to guide me by Your righteous right hand. You promise to sustain me and that as I cast my cares on You, You will never let me fall. You promise that Your name is a strong tower, and as the righteous run into it, they are safe. Jesus, you tell me I’m safe!"  

By the time I arrived at the office something had changed. I had courage. My pain was still throbbing, but I had supernatural strength to endure it.

God’s promises had renewed and refreshed my life. I had peace and power, and no longer felt defeated. I could head into the day. “All because I cried out to You, Lord,” I smiled.

Most of all, I thanked God that over the years, I had hidden so many Bible promises in me. Since my hands cannot reach for a Bible, or even hold a smartphone, I’ve learned the value of memorizing God's Word. It helps when your hands don’t work!

William Carey once said, “The future is as bright as the promises of God.” If your soul is feeling cracked and dry, if you are weary of persevering through a tough trial, tuck a healthy handful of God’s promises into your heart. You never know when you’ll be driving down the road and need to be renewed!