THE WAY

John 14: 1,3
Do not let your hearts be troubled. You have faith in God; have faith also in me… I will come back again and take you to myself, so that where I am you also may be.
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Whew… it has been a very stressful two weeks. I have to return home to be with my wife as we mourn the death of her beloved mother. Then came the news that a new flu virus strain (swine flu or H1N1) has been detected in Mexico and is now poised to spread in pandemic proportion. Still, I have to go back to Mexico for the project we are doing. And after two take-offs, two landings, inside a plane cabin for 15 hours and another 5 hours travelling by land, we made it safe and sound.

Though our minds are often fairly quickly convinced that the problem is manageable, our emotions generally continue to be troubled for some time after. Though we cannot escape troubles in this world, we should do our best to make our hearts as still as the depths of the sea. Because of our troubled hearts, we cannot enjoy the blessings that we receive, our health is affected, and our ability to work effectively is affected too. Christians with troubled hearts cannot experience the joy of the Lord, are poor testimonies, and poor workers for Him. I know, because I am guilty of it also.

We need to take God at His word. As Christians, God takes residence inside us and begins to reveal to us his plan for our lives. God has given us the user's manual of life - to read it, practice in our lives. If you're discontent, worried, anxious, bewildered, perplexed, confused, agitated, or otherwise in need of comfort, the reason is that you don't trust Him like you should. If you really trust Christ, what do you have to worry about?

"Let not your heart be troubled". If there is a single central message in Jesus' words, it is that the basis of comfort is simple, trusting faith.

Almighty Father, I praise Your name and I shout out with joy for Your presence in my life. We are not helpless, we are certainly not weak, for we are Your children. Turn our hearts toward worship, praise, and thanksgiving.

“Troubled, disappointed, worried, confused hearts?
In You alone, in Your love, we always have a brand new start.”

Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice before Him; with trembling rejoice.