John 16:33“These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” As a Christian, what I love and appreciate about Jesus is His blunt honesty in the face of life’s realities. I don’t know if it’s just me and the fact that I’m getting older, but the world seems to be a much more troubled place than it was when I was younger. It seems to me that we have far more to be concerned about than what we contended with just ten or twenty years ago. Let’s face it, life isn’t getting any easier. Today, there are so many advancements in technology and an ever increasing amount of laws and regulations. Life, rather than having gotten better, is in fact becoming harder to survive, let alone enjoy. However, when I come to a verse like this one, everything seems to change for me. It feels as if someone’s opened a window to let in some much-needed fresh air. Jesus’ words come to me like a breeze when He says, “These things I have spoken to you.” He’s reminding us that He knows what is ahead and that nothing is outside of His care. Then I see the breeze turn into a wind when He says, “…in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation.” For me, this is the wind of hope because He has promised us His peace. Jesus also lets us in on a very important fact; life is going to have its challenges and there’s always going to be troublesome times. Yet, I now see that wind turn into a gale when He says, “Be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” If Jesus loves us enough to tell us about the future and that we need not worry but take courage in life’s troubles, then I can begin to understand just how I can become an overcomer through Him. This means there is no difficulty, no health challenge, no financial issue that can trump the fact that Jesus makes us victorious in Him. So the next time a bit of tribulation comes your way, remember the words of Jesus: “…that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” Pastor Jack
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