OBSERVATION: That first phrase is really a powerful on -- "Let not your heart be troubled..." It says a lot. The main thing that it says is that I have control over my heart, especially over what may trouble it. Jesus wouldn't say, "Let not your heart be troubled" if, in actuality, I had no control over the situation, or if He would just remove all troubles from me. But the fact of the matter is that things will take place in my life that will threaten to bring trouble to my heart and when those things come (and they will come), I will have the ability to let my heart be troubled or to not let my heart be troubled. It's up to me. He gives the trick to this control in the same verse for application. But first:
- He didn't say, "Let not your mind be confused." Things do happen in this life that confuse and confound me. "Why would God do that? How can anything good come from this? I don't understand it!" That's why God said, "Lean not on your own understanding." It is insufficient for the task. If my heart being troubled is tied into my mind's understanding, then I am in trouble. When a child dies, for example, there is no way to understand that. The mind tries to persuade the heart, but Jesus said, "Let not your heart be troubled." Even when your mind does not understand.
- He also didn't say, "Let not your life have troubles." Again, they will come. There is nothing we can do about that. These disciples were about to see Jesus arrested, killed and buried. There was nothing they could do about that, though they did try. Peter started swinging a sword to avoid it, but that was the wrong answer. How much guilt and regret do we deal with for things that were going to come anyway? I wonder if Peter, in those three days between Jesus' arrest and resurrection, felt guilt and regret. "It was all my fault. I should have protected Him more. I shouldn't have let Him come to Jerusalem. I shouldn't have stopped swinging that sword. I sure shouldn't have denied Him. Maybe I could have organized a prison-break. Now it's over. It's too late. And it's all my fault!" Looking back on his situation we can see that it wasn't Peter's fault. That 'trouble' was bound to come. He couldn't have stopped it. And, there was about to be great benefit from it. He couldn't see it at the time. Neither can we, from withing our own troubles, see the bigger picture. I don't bring on all the troubles in my life. They're bound to come. Don't let them become a source of guilt or regret. That has no benefit, only harm.
The fact is that troubles will come that I don't understand. But they don't have to trouble my heart or cause guilt and regret.
APPLICATION: Jesus gives the powerful application point: "Believe in Me." That will counteract any trouble that I will find myself in. "I don't understand, but I believe in Jesus. I feel like it's all my fault, but I believe in Jesus. I don't see any good coming from this, but I believe in Jesus."
He said, "You believe in God;" you believe in a powerful, sovereign Creator of the universe, "now believe also in Me." Take that next step and believe that the very God Who is over all is also very close, very personal and very committed to your welfare. That belief -- an all powerful God who knows and cares about what I'm going through -- is what can keep my heart untroubled in very troubling circumstances. The God Who is way out there (transcendent) is also right here (imminent).
PRAYER: Jesus, I believe in God and I believe also in You. I will not let my heart be troubled. Amen.
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