Read the transcript from today's video devotional.
One of the most heartbreaking things that I've seen as a pastor is watching loved ones walk away from the faith. I've had countless opportunities where I've spoken to a lot of my loved ones' friends and asked them, "Why did you leave the faith?" Most of the time is because they felt like God was picking on them. They went through a terrible time of loss, suffering, pain, confusion, maybe it was deep depression, and they felt like God was picking on them.
Peace Attached to Jesus
Our text today is very comforting and encouraging. Jesus is with His disciples and He's getting ready to leave. He reminds them, "I'm going to send the Holy Spirit. I'm getting ready to be crucified. I'm going to the cross. I'm leaving you." But this is what He says: "I have told you all this." What's all this? "I'm going to be crucified. I'm leaving you." Then He says, "So that you may have peace in Me."
First He tells them, hey, I'm leaving. But make sure your peace is attached to me. Don't place your peace to the stuff of this world, to the temporary things of this world, to money, to your gifts, your abilities, to people, to where our nation is going. Our hope is not in that. Our hope is not in a government leader. It's not in our investments. Our peace needs to be attached to a person. He says, make sure your peace is attached to Me. Why does He say that? Because peace is a person, and His name is Jesus. That's the first thing He says.
You Will Have Trials
Then He says this: "Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows." That is a promise. You know, when I talked to a lot of my buddies and close family members that have navigated through terrible times of suffering, most of the time they don't understand why they're suffering. I've had seasons where I don't understand why I'm suffering either.
Jesus tells us you will have many trials and sorrows. He's actually promising us that we will suffer. Why does He do that? He does that because He doesn't want us to be shocked when suffering comes our way. The truth of the matter is, a lot of people walk away from the faith. Why do they walk away? Because they feel like God is picking on them. So Jesus says, hey, I'm not promising you a life of ease. I'm not promising you a life of comfort. Here's what I am promising. I'm promising you My presence.
Our Pain Will Expire
I can promise you this. Your pain, and my pain, will eventually expire. When I was heavily addicted, when I was deeply depressed, I felt like my pain would never expire. But it eventually did. For some people, the pain doesn't expire on earth. The pain will expire when they get to heaven. Yet the promise remains. What's the promise? That God is Emmanuel with us.
The pain and Jesus's words, they're very comforting because He tells us, "Take heart, because I have overcome the world." He says, "You will have many trials and sorrows, but take heart, because I have overcome the world." There is coming a day where there will be no more pain and no more tears.
We Are Overcomers
When Jesus was getting ready to go to the cross, He wasn't going to the cross to lose. He was going to the cross as a winner. Not as a loser, but as a winner. When I'm in Jesus Christ, I am more than a conqueror. I have His Spirit. I have the Word, I have prayer. I have all these resources that God has given me. I am an overcomer. His victory is my victory.
My prayer to each and every person listening is that no matter what you're walking through, your pain will eventually expire. Place your peace in the God of all peace.
