The Gospel reading heard throughout Christendom yesterday begins with this simple admonition:
John 14:1 Do not let your hearts be troubled.
How often have you heard those words and reacted by thinking, “Yeah, right. Easier said than done!”
You have conflict with a boss or coworker. You struggle with an addiction. Family relationships are strained. A loved one has suffered a stroke or is battling cancer. All of these things are happening right now in the lives of people I know and love. How can their hearts NOT be troubled?
Listen to the one who is speaking the words in John 14, and the rationale He provides.
“Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me.”
Jesus is speaking, and tells you to be confident and content in the One who is in control of everything. Regardless of how we think and act, we are NOT in control. Jesus is. Trust Him. He has already taken your sin, your guilt, and your punishment on Himself and paid for it all. He conquered sin and death and the devil for you. You can trust Him to care for you in any and all circumstances.
The author of the letter to the Hebrews wrote about this and quoted Psalm 118:
Hebrews 13:6 So we say with confidence, “The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?”
We need the confidence Paul described:
Romans 8:38–39 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Do not let your hearts be troubled.
