“Therefore we also,
since we are surrounded by
so great a cloud of
witnesses, let us lay aside
every weight, and the
sin which so easily
ensnares us, and let
us run with endurance
the race that is set
before us, looking unto
Jesus, the author and
finisher of our faith.”
Hebrews 12:1-2
(NKJV)
The Bible doesn’t hide the flaws of the men and women who
are depicted in Scripture. But it can be
a bit intimidating to read about the great faith they demonstrated in
challenging circumstances. They and
their stories seem larger than life. Yet
it was in those very circumstances that God showed Himself strong. So many people in recent times are part of
that great “cloud of witnesses” and demonstrate that He works like that today as
well.
One such example is Joni Eareckson Tada. She became a quadriplegic as the result of a
diving accident when she was a teen. It
was a crisis of faith and she understandably asked a lot of hard questions of
God. But He brought her through it and her
quadriplegia has become a wonderful platform to glorify God. He has used her in
a mighty way to minister to others with disabilities, their families and
caregivers, as well as believers in general.
In addition, she is an accomplished artist and God has given her a
beautiful voice.
When we experience a tragedy, when something happens that
bursts our dreams and dashes our hopes, it’s normal to ask the “why” questions
of God. But if we can get past that and ask Him “what” and “how” instead (i.e.,
what He wants us to learn from it and how He wants to use it), we might be
amazed to find that God intends to use these difficult circumstances for His
great purposes if we let Him. God works
best in our weaknesses, so surrender the circumstances to Him. He is the author and finisher of our faith,
so trust and obey Him. We can run with endurance this race with His strength
and by His power.
