Trusting God Through the Raging Storms

IT COULD BE A DRAMATIC SCREENPLAY

Joni Lamb’s life has all the elements of a dramatic screenplay: conflict, controversy, high stakes, heart-wrenching highs and lows, devastating losses, relatability, and restoration. Yet, Joni’s life is no screenplay. It is real and she lived it: every joy, every sorrow, every triumph, and every loss, and it’s far from over. In her latest book, “Through the Storm,” she candidly shares her life experiences in turbulent times with God as her ever-present anchor, guide, and comforter.  

A SOLID CHRISTIAN FOUNDATION BUILT IN CHILDHOOD

Joni's grateful for her parents who provided the love and security that prepared her for life. “I had no problem believing my heavenly Father loved me," she says, "because my earthly Father showed me what true love is. Jesus captured my heart as a young teen.” In high school, she admits she was strong-willed and scrappy, but occasionally she became combative when defending the Bible. 

The real drama began in her early twenties. She faced big choices that determined the trajectory of her life. At 20, Joni was in love and headed toward marriage. The God she adored had other plans for her life. She faced a difficult choice, and it would be the first of many. She gave up her fiancé. They were both heartbroken and he was very angry. She was still grieving the loss when a dashing, young evangelist by the name of Marcus Lamb visited her church. “Who is that girl?” he asked. Joni married that handsome evangelist six months later.

CHURCH GIRL OUT OF HER COMFORT ZONE 

Joni was now the wife of a well-known traveling evangelist. It was light years from her comfort zone. Joni likened it to living in a fishbowl. It was Joni’s first taste of the public eye. For the most part, Joni assisted Marcus on his crusades. They were still small fish, so there was little scrutiny. That was about to change when the Lord told them to get involved in Christian television. Joni says, “Marcus invested some of our own money, relatives, and friends donated, and soon a small signal emanated from a short tower, broadcasting one nightly two-hour show co-hosted by Marcus and Joni.”

"It’s laughable that we even got on the air," Joni reminisces. There were “storms of public ridicule, poor advice, and a lack of finances.” Naysayers were gazing non-stop into that fishbowl now and their comments hurt. Especially when they heard that Marcus and Joni had visions of a larger network, one that would span the globe. 

THE STORMS GROW BIGGER AND STRONGER

Joni has described the couple’s years in Montgomery, Alabama as “the tribulation.” Now she knows the Lord was preparing them to face bigger storms. They moved to Dallas, TX in 1990 to buy another station in a larger market. By now, their flagship program was well established. Marcus wanted Joni by his side as co-host, but this is the girl who was petrified of speaking before large crowds. "Before long, I was talking more than he was and asking lots of questions. He said, 'You need your own show, you are good at interviewing people.'" That was the beginning of the popular daily talk show, “Joni’s Table Talk.”

Their audience was growing quickly as they acquired more and more stations across the country. By 1998, Daystar was officially a network. They would battle lawsuits in Dallas and elsewhere for permits for the stations. “That season was wonderful and brutal, rewarding and devastating," Joni says. "Juggling home life with children with an expanding ministry was so tiring, but quitting wasn’t an option. Growing Daystar was at war, but the Lord worked miracles that kept us going.”

BETRAYAL AND PUBLIC HUMILIATION

2007 was the year that Joni’s world crumbled. “Life seemed good, the weather was calm, but suddenly,” a personal storm hit that knocked me to the ground. "I prayed, 'God, if you don’t help me, I’m going under.'" It was the day that Joni found out that Marcus was having an affair. “I was angry and broken. Our home felt like a brick-and-mortar shell. I had always said that if that happened, I would get a divorce in a heartbeat.” Yet as she waited to confront Marcus, she managed to pray. That’s when she heard God say, “He is worth fighting for.” When Marcus came home, she confronted him, “with a supernatural calm.” Marcus was repentant and said he would do anything to make it right. He agreed to go to counseling. They cried together all night and had their first counseling appointment the next day.

They both knew the worldwide audience would soon be closing in. They wanted to tell the audience immediately, but their counselor advised them to give themselves time to heal before the public revelation. For three years, they went faithfully to counseling. Joni remembers, "The first year was excruciating. It was a grueling process and recovery was slow." Finally, Joni says she was ready to forgive and trust again.

Marcus and Joni both knew they had to face the public. But right before the planned on-air revelation, another storm erupted. Three women who had known about Marcus’ affair said they were going public unless they were paid millions of dollars. All the women had been fired by the ministry and were disgruntled. Joni and Marcus refused their demands and ultimately the lawsuits were dismissed. Joni and Marcus proceeded with their plan to reveal the affair on Daystar and other well-known national programs. Joni says, “It was excruciating for Marcus because of all the shame. It was crushing for him to be seen by the world in his failure and humble himself, but he did it.”    

MORE SCANDALS, STORMS, AND LOSSES

From 2012 – 2019, there were a few more minor scandals and storms, but for the most part, the ministry and Joni and Marcus thrived. Then, the unthinkable happened, not a scandal, but a heart-breaking loss. In 2021, Marcus died unexpectedly from complications with his heart. The public mourned his loss, while Joni says, "A supernatural calm has carried her every day since the funeral.” Under her leadership, the ministry goes on and is thriving.  

There are many biblical character studies in Joni’s book too numerous to include. She clearly illustrates that the Bible says suffering and storms will come. She makes the distinction between different kinds of storms; some arise from an evil, fallen world, and there are some, we bring upon ourselves. But whatever the cause, there is no storm we face that God will not bring us through. It's a time to humble ourselves before the Lord, cry out for His help, and receive His comfort and direction. The storm will pass. In most cases, Joni says, we come out better, stronger, and with greater faith on the other side.  

To purchase Joni Lamb's book, Through the Storm, please click on the link: Through the Storm. You can also discover more about Daystar Television Network by visiting their website at www.DayStar.com.