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Hope...the Best of Things
One thing has saved the heaven-sent hope found only in Christ.
If hope is scarce in your life, this special booklet will draw you-toward a fresh perspective on suffering, true scriptural encouragement, and this beloved author's hard-won insights about the goodness of God.
In her life's journey Joni has learned to meet suffering on God's terms. She has learned that joy is for real. And most of all, she has learned that hope is the best of things when we give it a chance. This book powerfully communicates all these truths from someone who has lived them, so that you can live them too, no matter what you're going through.
If hope is scarce in your life, this special booklet will draw you-toward a fresh perspective on suffering, true scriptural encouragement, and this beloved author's hard-won insights about the goodness of God.
In her life's journey Joni has learned to meet suffering on God's terms. She has learned that joy is for real. And most of all, she has learned that hope is the best of things when we give it a chance. This book powerfully communicates all these truths from someone who has lived them, so that you can live them too, no matter what you're going through.
27 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 1, 2008
65 people are currently reading
322 people want to read
About the author
Joni Eareckson Tada
323 books551 followersJoni Eareckson Tada is an American evangelical Christian author, radio host, artist, and founder of Joni and Friends, an organization "accelerating Christian ministry in the disability community".
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews
August 13, 2018
The message of hope in Christ is real in this little book. I've always admired Joni and all the things she has learned through the struggles that have come this way. I was encouraged by this book, but she mentioned a movie (The Shawshank Redemption)several times as having a message that meant a lot to her. I looked up that movie, and the content is clogged with profanity and inappropriate things. This was a disappointment to me, and made the read less powerful.
January 12, 2019
Dear Lord and Other Loved Ones,
Please forgive my incessant whining about my back.
Chastened,
brian :)
Please forgive my incessant whining about my back.
Chastened,
brian :)
June 3, 2016
This short read is focused on encouraging others to find their hope and strength in Christ; whatever their circumstances. Written by a quadriplegic, Joni details how devastated she was by her acquired condition and how it forced her to lean on God daily.
She now runs inspirational camps and training sessions for those who are disabled, encouraging them to use their disability to bring God glory.
She now runs inspirational camps and training sessions for those who are disabled, encouraging them to use their disability to bring God glory.
January 2, 2024
Joni Eareckson Tada is one of those people who is really quite inspiring and an author that I "met" when I was a child. But in those early years, I didn't know that she was so strong in the faith while wasn't encouraged to pursue that type of story.
Hope ...the Best of Things is a small booklet that delves into stories of people who are suffering crushing life-changing disabilities, the struggle to get past the attitude that comes from losing supposedly everything and the fight to give up our sin so we can rely on God. Even though the underlying message is good for all people I felt a bit left out of the message as a whole since Joni is so focused on a particular crowd (which I am not faulting). And there was even one small part that made me choke up with the sweetness of the connection that she worked to ignite.
The book is full of quotes of biblical verses that the author helps to connect together and share. And as a result even though the book is short and easy-to-read I felt like I should have devoted a bit more time into exploring those same verses, to getting to know the Lord while reading through this book and putting some of those same mentioned lessons into effect. As a result I can guarantee that I will be coming back to this book perhaps later on so I can savor the read as it should have been done on this first pass.
All in all it is rather a sobering read for Christians in one sense but also rather one full of hope, especially for those struggling with disabling change while providing to those same a bit of a guide to help them find not only community but also purpose if they so need it.
Hope ...the Best of Things is a small booklet that delves into stories of people who are suffering crushing life-changing disabilities, the struggle to get past the attitude that comes from losing supposedly everything and the fight to give up our sin so we can rely on God. Even though the underlying message is good for all people I felt a bit left out of the message as a whole since Joni is so focused on a particular crowd (which I am not faulting). And there was even one small part that made me choke up with the sweetness of the connection that she worked to ignite.
The book is full of quotes of biblical verses that the author helps to connect together and share. And as a result even though the book is short and easy-to-read I felt like I should have devoted a bit more time into exploring those same verses, to getting to know the Lord while reading through this book and putting some of those same mentioned lessons into effect. As a result I can guarantee that I will be coming back to this book perhaps later on so I can savor the read as it should have been done on this first pass.
All in all it is rather a sobering read for Christians in one sense but also rather one full of hope, especially for those struggling with disabling change while providing to those same a bit of a guide to help them find not only community but also purpose if they so need it.
December 5, 2015
I was attracted to this book because of its title. While initially I had a slight nagging concern about the title (since the Bible doesn't say that hope is the greatest of things), I decided to give the book a chance, especially considering the author.
I was particularly encouraged to read, “Oh, how we need to grasp the soul-settling hope found in the pages of God's Word--not only grasp it, but allow the hope of God to fill and overflow our hearts, transforming us into people who are confident and at peace with themselves, their God, and their circumstances.”
Overall, Joni reminds us of two great truths that give us a God-view perspective on our struggles: (1) Suffering is not random or change but is purposefully used by God to purify us in order to make us more like Him; and, (2) God Himself gives the only real, lasting, eternal hope that overcomes whatever seemingly unbearable circumstances we face in this life. In other words, God is sovereign, powerful, good, and perfect in what He brings or allows in our lives. What great encouragement when circumstances oppress and depress us!
Sadly, these positive elements were tainted for me by an all-too-common appropriation of the entertainment industry’s movies as a defining element of the book. The title and the two primary illustrative stories in which Joni grounds the book’s theme are based on a single quote from a profanity-filled secular movie, The Shawshank Redemption. I’ve also heard this movie cited approvingly in sermons more than once.
I find this extremely problematic because this appeal to such sources reflects deeply rooted and (I believe) mistaken assumptions implicit in contemporary evangelical Christianity:
1. We can look to the profane to find God’s truth - while this fallen world contains marred hints of God’s truth, the only reliable, pure source is God’s word. Too often we look to secular culture, non-Christian philosophers, or worldly reasoning as the starting point for finding truth. Instead, we should turn first to God’s word and to faithful expositors of it. God has given pastors and teachers to the church to open God’s word to us in order to understand what is really true and apply it to our lives (Philippians 4:9). Unfortunately, the more popular approach is grounded in and reinforces ignorance of the very words of God (scripture) rather than pointing people to it and away from false teachers and messages.
2. We can “redeem” that which has not been transformed - this is a twisted misapplication of the gospel truth that none of us deserve salvation in our sinful condition. What it misses is that when God saves us, He puts a new heart in us so that we are internally transformed into His child - while imperfect until we reach Heaven, that fundamental change sets us on a new trajectory because we are new people. We misunderstand and misuse this when we try to pull “positive” elements from an essentially profane medium and gloss over the fact that the delivery vehicle in our search for truth is an unreliable, defiled, worldly creation.
3. We reach people primarily by our methods rather than the Spirit-empowered gospel message - in our zeal to see others follow Jesus, we default to becoming like them in their cultural pursuits, their preferences, and their entertainment, thinking this is essential “pre-evangelism” in order to share the gospel. Yet it is the gospel message of salvation used by the Holy Spirit that changes the hearts of those whom God wills to save - this has been God’s method for eternity - not using the often-vile entertainment choices of those who are rejecting Him. We exclude the Holy Spirit and ignore the clear instruction of the Bible as we ground our witness in being like the culture, uncritically using its methods and resources, rather than being different from it; trusting our ingenuity rather than the power of God’s word.
4. It teaches other believers and especially our children the wrong message - it marginalizes the only source of truth and sets us on a misguided quest to find kernels of truth in a storehouse of decaying detritus produced by a fallen culture. Rather than reinforcing the Biblical admonition to keep God’s word continuously in our hearts, minds, daily life, and all we do, it teaches that our primary influences can come from the culture that is in slavery to our enemy and that we should regularly seek its “wisdom” for guidance in life. It also elevates the pursuit of entertainment over the pursuit of God.
I have not (and will never) see the movie referenced in this book - I see no possible way that doing so can glorify God or lead me (or anyone else) into greater holiness. Despite the illustrations in the book, we are gravely misguided as we continue to try to “perfume the pig” rather than think on those things that are true, honorable, just, pure, lovely, commendable, excellent, and praiseworthy (Philippians 4:8). See the link at the end for a secular review that itemizes the pervasively disgusting content of this movie.
Joni Eareckson Tada is a great inspiration and has many God-filled things to say. I enjoy her ministry’s daily devotional, among other resources. However, I cannot recommend this book, despite the positive elements it contains, because I do not want to be part of leading people astray through non-Biblical methods, even in the apparent pursuit of Biblical truth. Rather, I encourage you to seek God’s word and hopeful encouragement from those faithfully expounding it; jettison time-wasting entertainment that primarily destroys the soul and distracts the heart.
Movie Review Link (WARNING: foul language): http://m.imdb.com/title/tt0111161/par...
I was particularly encouraged to read, “Oh, how we need to grasp the soul-settling hope found in the pages of God's Word--not only grasp it, but allow the hope of God to fill and overflow our hearts, transforming us into people who are confident and at peace with themselves, their God, and their circumstances.”
Overall, Joni reminds us of two great truths that give us a God-view perspective on our struggles: (1) Suffering is not random or change but is purposefully used by God to purify us in order to make us more like Him; and, (2) God Himself gives the only real, lasting, eternal hope that overcomes whatever seemingly unbearable circumstances we face in this life. In other words, God is sovereign, powerful, good, and perfect in what He brings or allows in our lives. What great encouragement when circumstances oppress and depress us!
Sadly, these positive elements were tainted for me by an all-too-common appropriation of the entertainment industry’s movies as a defining element of the book. The title and the two primary illustrative stories in which Joni grounds the book’s theme are based on a single quote from a profanity-filled secular movie, The Shawshank Redemption. I’ve also heard this movie cited approvingly in sermons more than once.
I find this extremely problematic because this appeal to such sources reflects deeply rooted and (I believe) mistaken assumptions implicit in contemporary evangelical Christianity:
1. We can look to the profane to find God’s truth - while this fallen world contains marred hints of God’s truth, the only reliable, pure source is God’s word. Too often we look to secular culture, non-Christian philosophers, or worldly reasoning as the starting point for finding truth. Instead, we should turn first to God’s word and to faithful expositors of it. God has given pastors and teachers to the church to open God’s word to us in order to understand what is really true and apply it to our lives (Philippians 4:9). Unfortunately, the more popular approach is grounded in and reinforces ignorance of the very words of God (scripture) rather than pointing people to it and away from false teachers and messages.
2. We can “redeem” that which has not been transformed - this is a twisted misapplication of the gospel truth that none of us deserve salvation in our sinful condition. What it misses is that when God saves us, He puts a new heart in us so that we are internally transformed into His child - while imperfect until we reach Heaven, that fundamental change sets us on a new trajectory because we are new people. We misunderstand and misuse this when we try to pull “positive” elements from an essentially profane medium and gloss over the fact that the delivery vehicle in our search for truth is an unreliable, defiled, worldly creation.
3. We reach people primarily by our methods rather than the Spirit-empowered gospel message - in our zeal to see others follow Jesus, we default to becoming like them in their cultural pursuits, their preferences, and their entertainment, thinking this is essential “pre-evangelism” in order to share the gospel. Yet it is the gospel message of salvation used by the Holy Spirit that changes the hearts of those whom God wills to save - this has been God’s method for eternity - not using the often-vile entertainment choices of those who are rejecting Him. We exclude the Holy Spirit and ignore the clear instruction of the Bible as we ground our witness in being like the culture, uncritically using its methods and resources, rather than being different from it; trusting our ingenuity rather than the power of God’s word.
4. It teaches other believers and especially our children the wrong message - it marginalizes the only source of truth and sets us on a misguided quest to find kernels of truth in a storehouse of decaying detritus produced by a fallen culture. Rather than reinforcing the Biblical admonition to keep God’s word continuously in our hearts, minds, daily life, and all we do, it teaches that our primary influences can come from the culture that is in slavery to our enemy and that we should regularly seek its “wisdom” for guidance in life. It also elevates the pursuit of entertainment over the pursuit of God.
I have not (and will never) see the movie referenced in this book - I see no possible way that doing so can glorify God or lead me (or anyone else) into greater holiness. Despite the illustrations in the book, we are gravely misguided as we continue to try to “perfume the pig” rather than think on those things that are true, honorable, just, pure, lovely, commendable, excellent, and praiseworthy (Philippians 4:8). See the link at the end for a secular review that itemizes the pervasively disgusting content of this movie.
Joni Eareckson Tada is a great inspiration and has many God-filled things to say. I enjoy her ministry’s daily devotional, among other resources. However, I cannot recommend this book, despite the positive elements it contains, because I do not want to be part of leading people astray through non-Biblical methods, even in the apparent pursuit of Biblical truth. Rather, I encourage you to seek God’s word and hopeful encouragement from those faithfully expounding it; jettison time-wasting entertainment that primarily destroys the soul and distracts the heart.
Movie Review Link (WARNING: foul language): http://m.imdb.com/title/tt0111161/par...
July 7, 2017
"Hope...the Best of Things" is a short booklet aimed at people who feel hopeless, especially those with disabilities. The title comes from the movie "The Shawshank Redemption," and the scenes involving the quote are described in the book with the lesson that we need to get busy living or get busy dying. We also learn a bit about Joni's story and how she leans on God each day to get through the day.
She talked about how God allows bad things to happen so that we will learn to more fully depend upon Him, about sharing with others the hope we have through Jesus, and the coming Joy we have to look forward to when we gain glorified bodies and are with Jesus forever. Much of this is told using stories from her life or from the lives of people she knows.
She talked about how God allows bad things to happen so that we will learn to more fully depend upon Him, about sharing with others the hope we have through Jesus, and the coming Joy we have to look forward to when we gain glorified bodies and are with Jesus forever. Much of this is told using stories from her life or from the lives of people she knows.
June 18, 2018
Hope deferred make the heart sick, Proverbs 13:12.
Join seems to turn it all around. Whereby every believer should have hope in Christ and be rejoicing at the glorious life to come, Luke 10:20. We should not just set our hopes afar off, but also have tangible hopes in this current life. Seek yes first the kingdom of God,, and His righteousness and all these things will be added unto you, Matthew 6:33. When we first seek God's kingdom there will be no need for us to seek yet another kingdom, for God's kingdom will provide all of our needs.
Join seems to turn it all around. Whereby every believer should have hope in Christ and be rejoicing at the glorious life to come, Luke 10:20. We should not just set our hopes afar off, but also have tangible hopes in this current life. Seek yes first the kingdom of God,, and His righteousness and all these things will be added unto you, Matthew 6:33. When we first seek God's kingdom there will be no need for us to seek yet another kingdom, for God's kingdom will provide all of our needs.
May 27, 2023
A Very Helpful Book For Hope
I love all of Monk's writing. So when I start to read on of her books for the first time, I am excited to see what treasure of knowledge and wisdom she will teach me. I bought the book because I was in need of some hope. This book helped me to understand myself and my thinking. It changed my perspective and helped me to think in a slightly different way. And it certainly made me more hopeful. For me, this book is like a well. When I get thirsty I can return to it again and again to be refreshed. Thank you Joni.
I love all of Monk's writing. So when I start to read on of her books for the first time, I am excited to see what treasure of knowledge and wisdom she will teach me. I bought the book because I was in need of some hope. This book helped me to understand myself and my thinking. It changed my perspective and helped me to think in a slightly different way. And it certainly made me more hopeful. For me, this book is like a well. When I get thirsty I can return to it again and again to be refreshed. Thank you Joni.
February 24, 2025
Great Booklet
Everyone needs hope and this booklet speaks to the heart of the issue. Joni knows all about needing hope with her many years in her wheelchair, her cancer battle, and her battles with pain.
She shares stories of others as well to encourage you to find hope and not give up.
No matter if you're dealing with illness or loss or pain, hope is found in Jesus.
Everyone needs hope and this booklet speaks to the heart of the issue. Joni knows all about needing hope with her many years in her wheelchair, her cancer battle, and her battles with pain.
She shares stories of others as well to encourage you to find hope and not give up.
No matter if you're dealing with illness or loss or pain, hope is found in Jesus.
August 25, 2018
Joni is awesome!
Joni understands and expresses her faith in her writing with a sincere love and gratitude to God that shows why it's not your situation in this world, but what you allow God to do with it!
Joni understands and expresses her faith in her writing with a sincere love and gratitude to God that shows why it's not your situation in this world, but what you allow God to do with it!
November 26, 2022
Great little booklet on hope!
Take the time to read this little booklet on hope. It will encourage your soul. Her stories are about those with physical disabilities but anyone who is feeling hopeless about any given situation can relate. Able to read it in about 30 mins.
Take the time to read this little booklet on hope. It will encourage your soul. Her stories are about those with physical disabilities but anyone who is feeling hopeless about any given situation can relate. Able to read it in about 30 mins.
December 20, 2016
Humbling and eye opener to deal
This book opened my eyes to how to deal with suffering and too realize I am not the only in the world.
This book opened my eyes to how to deal with suffering and too realize I am not the only in the world.
October 30, 2017
all of her books are wonderful.
February 24, 2021
Loved this book. Very inspiring and hopefilled.
May 18, 2022
Suffering, endurance, character, hope
Joni is a bright light of hope pointing to Jesus. What a grateful and beautiful testimony of Gods grace and goodness.
Joni is a bright light of hope pointing to Jesus. What a grateful and beautiful testimony of Gods grace and goodness.
December 31, 2025
A sweet dash of encouragement.
February 5, 2016
There is hope in Jesus
It's brief but sufficient to encourage those who are in the same plight or who are going through a time of trials, who needs solace and understanding.
It's also opens out doors and opportunities for those who are handicapped and is seeking helps or assistance.
I proposed that those who finds this booklet helpful, should check out further on other books by the same author.
It's brief but sufficient to encourage those who are in the same plight or who are going through a time of trials, who needs solace and understanding.
It's also opens out doors and opportunities for those who are handicapped and is seeking helps or assistance.
I proposed that those who finds this booklet helpful, should check out further on other books by the same author.
December 26, 2015
A great enforcer that everything happens for a reason. The author states that while in her wheelchair and feeling weak, she would lean on God and he would get her through. She is inspirational and I really enjoyed this quick read which was a greatly needed reminder at Christmas.
Read
September 3, 2016It is always wise to listen to someone who has suffered greatly, and especially when that person has allowed God to use their suffering for His glory. I always get blessed from reading Joni's writings.
December 26, 2016
Refreshing short read on the hope God gives in the midst of suffering.
August 31, 2017
Encouragement for those who are suffering
Suffering comes in so many forms but God is there to help with them all. Joni provides hope and encouragement based on the Word of God for all who suffer.
Suffering comes in so many forms but God is there to help with them all. Joni provides hope and encouragement based on the Word of God for all who suffer.
December 7, 2015
Helpful and encouraging.
January 11, 2016
A quadriplegic talking about hope in suffering. How could it be bad?!
December 10, 2015
Hope...so needed in this world
We live in a time of uncertainty. So many are suffering in so many ways. This book inspires hope for all and comfort for the future. A wonderful read.
We live in a time of uncertainty. So many are suffering in so many ways. This book inspires hope for all and comfort for the future. A wonderful read.
December 17, 2015
Count it all joy
Joni speaks from a position of authority when it comes to the topic of suffering, and even more so on the topic of joy.
Joni speaks from a position of authority when it comes to the topic of suffering, and even more so on the topic of joy.
January 23, 2016
This is such a book with a great reminder to never lose hope and that God is always there for you.
Read
January 7, 2016Basic truths written in a simple way--good reminders at the start of a new year.
February 15, 2017
This is a short little booklet, but it's not short on encouragement.
February 16, 2016
Excellent! I loved it and found it very helpful.
Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews