Vol. 22 No. 22 | June 1, 2020
Take Heart!
As parents, we want to protect our children and prepare them for what’s ahead if we can:
Ok, sweetie, we’re going to the doctor. They’re going to poke you with a needle and it’ll hurt for a little while, but I’ll be right beside you.
We’re going to a busy part of town, so stay close to me, wait for the man to turn green on the sign, and always look both ways before you cross the street.
Jesus wanted to protect his followers, as well. He was about to go to the cross, He tried to prepare them for what was shaping up to be an unprecedented time of disappointment, sadness, chaos, and confusion.
“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world, you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33, NIV)
Jesus’s words are as true now as they were then. And He wants to comfort His followers today the same as he did those who followed him then. He knows there will be times when life will be filled with confusion and uncertainty, disappointment and sadness, hatred and prejudice, and sickness and death.
And He wants to make sure we know that when we experience trouble or hardship, whether because of our faith or simply because we live in a fallen world, we must not give in to fear or lose hope.
Jesus is still communicating with us today, but we have to remember to listen. Because without a clear focus on His words, our spirits will start to dwindle, and we’ll lose sight of the good and beautiful things that still remain amidst all the tragedy and chaos in the world.
And we must take heart because He has provided us a way to have peace even in the midst of it.
A Norvell Note © Copyright 2020 Tom Norvell All Rights Reserved