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TRANSCRIPT
I don’t know about you, but I can tend to be a worrier. When it comes to forecasting our weeks and months, I like to know what’s ahead. I want to walk into any situation with some kind of plan or direction. It gives me a sense of calmness and peace. Now, I know I’m not the only one that deals with this, and I have had to learn through the years to lay this at the feet of Jesus on a regular basis. Especially being married to a “Let’s see what happens” type of personality.
Which is one of the reasons I love John 14. John 14 begins and ends with some encouraging words from Jesus to his disciples. John 14:1 says:
“Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me.” And in verse 27 Jesus again says:
Peace, I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.
Sometimes we face circumstances in life that are just out of our control. No amount of our own planning and effort can make it better or prevent it or things from happening. Difficult things in life are bound to happen. And sometimes, we feel at a loss as to how we approach them. Sometimes it seems too broken. We may try hard to regain some sense of order, but life can still feel unbalanced, uncertain, and even a little chaotic and crazy because of the pressures surrounding them.
Jesus Himself understood these pressures. Over and over in His Word, He reminds us not to worry, not to fear, and not to be "troubled" in our hearts.
Not too long after the Last Supper, before His journey to the cross, Jesus offers comfort to His disciples because He knew what was ahead. He knew the trials they would all soon face. He could have said so many things in that moment, but these words found in John 14:1 and 27, He chose then, and these words still hold so much power for us today.
So here are four simple truths to help us in living out the truths found in this chapter:
Many around us will have troubled hearts and souls in this world, but Jesus reminds us, don't let "your" heart be troubled. Don't follow the crowd! Choose to stand apart, for we know where our true peace and security are found.
Take care of your "heart," for it is "the outflow and seat of all the thoughts, passions, affections, and purposes" in our lives. Our hearts compel us in every action, thought, and decision. He reminds us to guard our hearts for "everything we do flows from it."
Don't be "troubled." Well, that sounds easy enough, right? But truthfully, this is one of the most difficult things in the world to do. How can we not be troubled when facing huge trials, loss, illness, sickness, disease uncertainty and so on? The only answer lies in Him, and it's how He ends this verse.
"Trust AND Believe." We must choose to have full confidence in God, in Christ. For He is the answer to our troubles, every single one them. He is our help for every need that we face. He knows our journey, He know what lies ahead, and the difficult ones we may have just walked through, for He is with us every step of the way. This world is not all we have. This life may be riddled with obstacles, potholes, and even dangerous cliffs. Often, we find ourselves struggling just to, simply, stay the course.
Bu, we still have hope! Right in the midst of our circumstances, in the difficulties of life in the battles we face, He is our security, He’s trustworthy and He’s faithful!
So, that one thing that’s been pressing on your heart? Give it to God. And make the choice to leave it there. Don’t pick it back up. Choose to trust and believe that He’s working on your behalf, even behind the scenes where you can’t see. Ask Him for His Presence of peace to fill your life today.
In the words of Jesus in verse 27:
Peace, I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Friends let’s choose to walk in that peace that only comes from Him.