Good Morning All,
John 16:33; “I have said these things
to you, that in me you may have peace. In
the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I
have overcome the world.”
Do
you remember the song by Bobby McFerrin?
It was a catchy little tune that was somewhat infectious. It was “Don’t Worry, Be Happy!” (Do Doot Doot doo da doo) Everyone was
humming or singing along as it played on the radio. It was one of those songs that played in your
mind and was usually on your tongue. It
was an inane song. It said nothing of
any value. The whole song was “Don’t
Worry, Be Happy!”
The really strange thing is that there
were people who thought this was an answer to life’s problems; don’t worry just
be happy. The thing about this little
song is that it never tells you how to be happy or how to “don’t worry”. It can be real easy to tell someone this when
that person isn’t the one who has anything to worry about. That is what many think when they listen to
the Christians speak of “not worrying”; they think that a comfortable Christian
has no business telling me to be happy.
To a certain extent this is true but what needs to be explained is where
we get this confidence. It doesn’t come
from a silly thought but from a certain confidence.
The one thing about this verse that has
always intrigued me is that Jesus speaks these words just a few hours before
his crucifixion. He is about to die and
he tells his disciples, “don’t be troubled” or “don’t worry”. How does he do this?
As we look at this we need to remember two
things. First, Jesus is about to die a
horrific death but he has the confidence that there is a greater good to be
attained. This good is our salvation and
with that; we receive the promise and the same certainty that Jesus has. So, we may face some earthly pain. We may face our own mortality or that of a spouse
or other loved one. We may face a time
of failing health. We may face a job
that goes away or moves 500 miles away.
We may face a painful time but we know that through it all God is with
us. We always have the certainty of the
promise of our salvation. We will face
trouble; we will face failures, pain, and ultimately death but we face them
with the confidence that our salvation is secure and we do not have to face
these battles alone.
That is what Jesus’ promise of being “with
us always” means. That is why this
promise is so valuable to us. We are
never alone. We can turn away but God
stays with us giving us the hope for our salvation and the words to remember
his love for us as a comfort when times are hard. God’s grace will always be there for us. No matter what the battle is, we face it with
God’s everlasting promise of his love for us and the promise of our salvation
being secure.
Gracious Father, you are ever with us and with
that promise we can face life with no fear; we do not have to worry. You comfort us, you sustain us and you give
us hope. Guide us by your mercy to be
the arms and ears for those who are battling life at this time. Help us to bring them the hope that you give
to us. In Jesus’ precious name we pray,
amen
God’s
Peace,
Pastor Bret
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