Do you ever feel lost? Do you ever feel undecided? Do things seem uncertain and the future unclear? You are not alone. This year has been unlike any other. The ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, forest fires out West, hurricanes in the South, and political uncertainty have made us all feel we have lost control with no idea when it will come back.
On top of all the events affecting our nation and the world, many are dealing with family issues, employment uncertainty, financial crunches, and health problems. These are tough times we are living in, there is no doubt about it.
When you read through the Gospels (Matthew – John) in the New Testament, you read about the troubles, persecution, and problems Jesus and his disciples had to deal with. And while they are not the same as what we are experiencing in 2020, they were still a source of uncertainty and consternation.
Yet, at the end of Jesus’ three years of ministry, Jesus was able to say:
“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
The context is different, written 2000 years ago, to Jewish men from their Rabbi, but the truth reamins real today. In this world you will have trouble. By defaut, the world, of which Satan is ruler, is a hotbed for “trouble.” There is no escaping it. However, the good news is that amidst the world and all its troubles, we can have peace. A “peace that transcends understanding.” A peace that comes from Jesus himself.
The imperative is to “take heart!” How can we “take heart” while living in 2020, you ask? Remember, when we are weak, He is strong. Just like a toddler hiding behind his mama when meeting a stranger, we stay close to Jesus. Why? Because he says, “I have overcome the world.”
The key takeaway here is HOPE. If Jesus has overcome the world and Jesus is our LORD, we too, have overcome the world. We are with Him and our home is not this world. This world and its desires are passing away. Think of it this way. You’ve grown up in a woodshed and now you’ve been invited to live in a mansion. Your time in the woodshed is short and will soon be forgotten. Your hope is in what’s ahead. What’s behind is just a fading memory.
Read more about hope.
- Revelation 21:4
- 1 John 3:2
- 1 Corinthians 2:9
- Romans 15:13