As I have made my way through the study of the gospel of John these verses could not have come at a better time. The healing and peace that the Word of God brings is amazing! Chapter 14 of the book of John is filled with the words spoken by Jesus as he prepares his disciples for his death. The comfort he presents to his followers then, is filled with application for his followers now.
We have all experienced the trials that life holds...death of a loved one, loss of a job, strained relationships, the uncertainty of the future...they are just part of our existence on earth. But as Christians, we are not left without hope. We can experience these hardships in a unique way because we have the promises given to us by God himself. The first verse of chapter 14 gives us the most clear cut way to avoid letting the troubles of this world get to us. "Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God, believe also in me." When we believe in God, and in the work of Jesus Christ, we are then presented with blessings that make the world a lot less troubling.
We have hope in the future...in verses 2 and 3 of chapter 14 Jesus gives us the ultimate promise that he is preparing a place for us to be with him. There is a place already in heaven for us and Jesus will someday take us to be with him. With this is mind, we don't have to live in the shadows of this world because we know this life is so insignificant compared to what awaits us...life is so short and our wonderful home in heaven is eternal.
We have the Holy Spirit living in us...in verses 16 and following, Jesus describes to us the power and strength that the Holy Spirit gives to us. He calms the disciples fear of being left without their leader by explaining to them that he will ask the Father to send a helper...the Holy Spirit...to live in us to comfort and counsel us. As a comforter, the Holy Spirit calms our hearts when we feel we cannot take another trial. As a counselor, the Holy Spirit brings the word of God to our mind and applies its truths to our broken spirit. The Holy Spirit is God living in us. The Holy Spirit is Jesus living through us. R. Kent Hughes explains it best in his commentary on John, "The same power that through Jesus brought regeneration and life to many flows through us. The same wisdom that brought healing to most fragmented relationships is operable in us. The same miraculous love that brought life to impossible situations resides in us, through the Holy Spirit"
Through these promises, we can have a peace that the world cannot give us and that the world will never understand. "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid" John 14:27
1 comment:
Thanks for the reminder Kik. You know my heart has been very troubled this week--which doesn't make me happy. :) I'm striving to follow the commands of our Lord and not be anxious about all this stuff. I love you and thank you so much for who you are and for being here.
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