My Great Protector, in Your Word You caution believers that “in this world you will have troubles” and boy do I have some. There are wars and rumors of wars … there is inflation … there is mass illegal immigration … there is supply chain disruptions … there is a COVID pandemic … there is neighbor against neighbor … there are many lies being spread around to the point no one knows what truth is any more. Then there are family issues of all kinds that are adding to these burdens. Through all of this I am expected to be sane and rational. I realize that evil is making its move against me and all of those committed to You. It is enough to make a sane person go off the deep end. But You do not leave us alone in a world filled with tribulation and, instead, You encourage me with “take heart” (or be encouraged). To do that I must rely on Your strength so I can face and defeat evil.
Why should I be brave? Well, despite all the struggles that I face, You want me to be strong and brave because You are standing with me. You do not abandon believers amid their struggles. Your power is always available to lend a helping hand whenever trouble and circumstances are stacked against me. You explain in Your Word why I should be brave. It is because “You have overcome the world” despite all the troubles You faced. If I truly believe Your Word, I have achieved victory and my battle is won. During my own struggles, I need to claim Your peace which produces calm in the storms going on around me. To take my mind off the problems I have and focusing on You allows me to calm my unsettled mind and body and allows me to rest and re-charge my will to resist. There will always be tension between unbelievers in the world and Your Kingdom. But You always end on top and so will I.
I rejoice in the fact that my relationship with You produces peace and conviction because I am in sync with You. In a relationship with You I find goodness, truth, and reality. The Devil seems all too anxious to fill my life with darkness, lies, contradictions and delusions. The fear he tries to create in me is being sent to drive me into behaviors where I comply with his false promises of safety … drugs, alcohol, sensual desires, mandates, etc. I am sorrowful seeing humans in search of power wading in corruption, lies and desires to crush anyone who stands in their way. You gave me a brain and a conscious, please help me resist becoming delusional and make me more willing to follow the lead of my conscience and reason in doing what is right in Your sight. Through my belief in You, I know I will be able to overcome what I see. And it’s in Jesus’ name I pray. AMEN!!
John 16:33 “In this world you will have troubles. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”