AP

Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2016

John Newton once commented: ‘Some Christians are called upon to endure a disproportionate amount of suffering.’ Joni is one such Christian, as a quadriplegic with cancer and who goes through almost constant chronic pain. As one who takes some time to gather his thoughts of a morning, I invariably turn first to something that is devotional and heart-warming before I tackle anything more challenging. Joni is an ideal kick-starter. She almost always manages to be fresh and stimulating in her writing.

There is a reading for each day, and almost invariably an appropriate comment or illustration. Joni is a woman possessed of what, noting Hebrews 12:1-2, she calls ‘defiant joy’, and always on the alert for that enemy known as self-pity. She can set a good ambush. Noting Philippians 4:5 (‘Let your gentleness be evident to all’), she asks: ‘Know anyone with “rough edges”?’ Then comes the next sentence: ‘Maybe that describes you.’

All of my apt illustrations are taken from somebody else, but Joni’s are clear, and genuinely add to our understanding of the text. She reads Scripture because she loves it as the Word of God. In sharing what she has learnt, she has given us a set of readings that make an ideal daily companion for those wishing to be transformed by God’s Word. I could think of few better gifts for anyone on the look out for a set of edifying daily Scripture readings.

A Spectacle of Glory

God’s Light Shining through Me Every Day

Joni Eareckson Tada with Larry Libby | Zondervan
Hardcover