Whenever I’m asked about Christians who inspire me, I’m quick to point to my friend Rika who lives in South Africa. She has been bedridden for 15 years with a painful, chronic condition that’s so debilitating, she cannot leave her house. Stop and picture it—day in and day out, for a decade and a half, Rika has lived in her humble, little room. She is cared for by her elderly parents and has very few friends.
I once commented to her in an email about the full moon that was rising over the mountains beyond my backyard. “And it’s the same moon you can see from your bedroom window,” I wrote Rika, to which she replied, “Oh, Joni, there’s only a small window high above my bed. I haven’t seen the moon in years.” I slowly read her words, letting tears fill my eyes.
Despite her confinements, Rika is a joyous, stalwart follower of the Lord Jesus who knows her Bible inside and out. She is constantly encouraging me—and others—by emails which are filled with insightful verses from Scripture and essays by Charles Spurgeon or William Law. Although her chronic condition can cause “brain fog,” Rika takes advantage of her clear-minded seasons, reading and studying as best as she can. We’ve enjoyed our long-distance friendship for years and feel very close to each other. Yet we’ve never met.
You can see why this woman inspires me. Rika possesses a deep, time-tested faith in God, and knows how to endure. She knows how to stand firm during fierce battles against discouragement. And she does it well.
To me, she’s an Eleazar. This great warrior was worthy enough to stand alongside the three mighty men of David who are highlighted in 2 Sam. 23. During a fierce battle against the Philistines, Israel’s army gave up and fled “but Eleazar stood his ground and struck down the Philistines until his hand grew tired and froze to the sword. The Lord brought about a great victory that day” (2 Sam. 23:10).
King David looked upon Eleazar’s heroic sword-grasp as proof of his exceptional bravery against a fierce enemy. The king was impressed that while others retreated, Eleazar persevered, fighting on even while others were running away. David’s man did not cower before the enemy; instead, he put his strength into his sword and rushed into battle with victory on his mind. He fought so hard, his hand and his sword became one.
That’s my friend, Rika. She so clings to the sword of the Spirit—the Word of God—the Bible has taken hold of her life. It has become her mark of valor and distinction. If others had to live with her chronic condition, perhaps they’d retreat into depression; maybe they’d cower before enemies of fear and anxiety or resentment against God. But Rika stands firm on the front-lines, holding fast to Scripture and winning victories for her King.
Pastor J. Saxtell wrote, “Eleazar did not realize that the hilt of the sword was eating down into the palm of his hand, and that while he was taking hold of the sword, the sword was taking hold of him.
Rika helps me look at my own quadriplegia, and chronic pain as only “light and momentary afflictions compared with the all surpassing glory” that awaits me in heaven (2 Cor. 4:17). Until that day, my friend and I “run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith” (Heb. 12:1-2). The key is perseverance. Do not give up or give in. Stand your ground as you share in the fellowship of suffering with your wonderful Savior. It’s a fellowship that includes Rika and Eleazar.
