John 14:1 Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.
John 14:27 Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.
Our world is like a ticking time bomb. ISIS, financial instability, disturbing physical conditions that are confounding the best medical minds in the world. Racial tensions and anti-Semitism are on the rise. To live for and proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ is to be labeled as using hate speech and is not politically correct. Heap on that the personal daily pressures of raising a family, and you have all the ingredients of a troubled heart. Having a troubled heart or soul is a normal part of human existence. Twice the gospel of John tells us that our Lord Jesus’ soul was troubled (John 12:27; John 13:21). Unlike me, His troubled soul was not one that was due to unbelief or anxiety.
Jesus is the ultimate realist. He does not paint a pie-in-the-sky picture of life this side of heaven. Hebrews tells in chapters 2 and 4 that Jesus, as Son of Man and our great high priest, identifies with our weaknesses, fears and troubles in life. Jesus provides Himself as the source of our peace. When Jesus says, “Let not your heart be troubled”, He is saying to us, “Trust Me”. Life gets messy and complicated. Despite all of our medical and technological advancements, modern society is plagued by more phobias than ever before. Stress levels are at an all time high. Anxiety and fear levels are off the charts. I have to deal with them every single day. The medicine for fear is trust in Jesus. Trust The One Who loves you deeply. Trust The One Who laid down His life for you. Let His peace calm your troubled soul.
