These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world. John 16:33 KJV
Context and Charge:
Jesus took out time to teach his disciples a lot about the coming Kingdom, and the expectations of God from all who seek to identify with it. It is not a kingdom you can bribe your way into, and it is not one that supports a careless lifestyle. It is a kingdom with a specific code of conduct which aligns with God's Word and will demand a lot from all who seek to submit to it. Jesus took time to speak to his disciples, and I can imagine how they felt hearing about persecutions, tough times ahead, and the worst of them all: the coming painful death of the One they had known as Master and Rabbi. He was all they knew, now he was going to be taken away. Again, nothing in this world can fill the void that the absence of God creates. You can get busy and occupied, but if He does not reside IN you, there is nothing of eternal value that can flow OUT of you. Who lives in you? Who defines your pursuits, priorities and purpose?
These words that Jesus spoke here were to birth and sustain peace in the disciples. Peace, from God's own perspective, is not so much the absence of conflicts, but it is the Presence of a Superior being that can calm whatever conflict rages. Being in Christ and working for Him would not totally protect me from tough times and trials, but I have the standing assurance that, as long as I remain connected, I have the supply required to make impact. The world would teach the opposite, seeking to promote its version of peace through enforcement and coercion. However, if the Prince of Peace is not ruling in your life, the confusion will flow out to affect your family, society and the nation. The world cannot give or promise you something it does not have, and no currency has yet been formed that can pay a sufficient price for the peace that God offers. The world cannot understand God's peace, and it cannot replicate it, because its source is God.
Conviction and Conclusion:
This is why I must do all I can to get the original version of peace. The world will give you what it has in abundance, which is tribulation. God will give you all He also has in abundance, some of which are peace, victory and joy. When I know that the end of any experience that comes my way is known to and is under the control and influence of God, what is there to fear? How would I not look forward with joy to whatever is coming, since I have the assurance that God knows how to work out all things for my good? As he encouraged his disciples then, so does He strengthen my heart today: In Him lies the full package of joy, peace and hope required to overcome all that the world will throw at me. The wind will blow, the rains will come, and the floods will rise, but in God, the foundations are set upon the Rock of Ages, and He will help me stand to the end. He has overcome the world, and all who are in God enjoy the same victory. Am I IN God? Does He know me as His own? God's time of favour is here.
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