Let not John 14

 

Read: John 14 Sing: Most Merciful God

John 14. I am as intimidated as I am excited to walk through these next few chapters with you all. My prayer is that we can truly sit, savor, meditate and change more into the likeness of Christ as we understand His word. That He would transform our minds, and give us the grace and strength to walk in His way.

We could literally park on John 14 for months. I have been there for a couple at this point and yet every morning I am struck by newness, something missed, something misunderstood, or conviction or love. This week I will on Wednesday and Friday put out a list of sermon links of preachers who have greatly helped me to understand this passage through their exposition. Some local pastors some not so local! Today we will look at verse 1 and verse 27.

Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God believe also in me. verse 27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.

Jesus, following the Lord's Supper now turns and offers comfort to His disciples. He whom is about to suffer a way that no man will ever fully understand, about to bare the weight of the sins of the world; looks to His followers with compassion as says as only the Good Shepherd can, "Let not your hearts be troubled..." Every commentary and message I read or listened to points to the fact this is meant to minister to the hearts of those listening. Jesus is our Great Comforter. 

Sigh. Actually literal giant sigh here. I wrestle against extreme anxiety as an adult. My anxiety comes out when I have to be in a crowd, when I face unknowns or when I allow myself to battle what ifs. I get extreme crowd anxiety so indoor places with lots of people (i.e. church) freaks me out. Ha, I have erased this twice because it can be quite embarrassing. But alas, its true. It got to the point fear was conquering me. Not Christ. And my husband suggested I started meditating on scripture and a very good friend gave me a study on anxiety. Both, not catering to myself but forcing me to soak in God's goodness and mercy and come face to face with some very serious lies and mistruths I was holding onto. It has been transforming. NOT EASY, but literally transforming. 

How? by following the first word in the sentence. Let. I needed to let the peace of God transform my understanding. I needed to let not by heart be troubled. I needed to not seek for physical comfort or peace as the world gives something changed. Christ offered it,and I took hold of it. He promised the Helper and He gave the strength to do what I could not...believe in His word. Mark 9:24 has become a favorite verse and prayer of mine, "Lord I believe; help my unbelief!"

There are literally hundreds of verses on fear and anxiety in the Bible. Not a couple not a dozen hundreds. Yet this year, truly pausing ans soaking in, with the realization of what lay ahead of Christ, and what words He was offering, what compassion His was giving and what love He was administering broke my heart. And I let peace in. And Jesus was able to be magnified. 

Today, as we walk towards the Cross...what are you letting in? Are they things that are pure, and of good report? Are they lovely and edifying? Or are they things of the world, lies, burdens and things that aren't necessary. Do we let are ourselves delight in the Lord or is our focus on the temporal? Take time today to truly think on these things. To think yet then on these verses, and to ask yourself, the toughest question of all, Is Jesus enough. Because He is. He is and was and always will be enough. He offers us hope and life in peace. Jesus Christ, Savior of the World, moments before the greatest of agonies, offers us comfort, because he cares for His sheep. Is the Lord your Shepherd? 

I have been reading through Jonathan Edwards Resolutions for a month or two. They are fantastic. Open confession... I love reading the puritans. Today I wanted to simply end with a few of Edwards resolutions that seem fitting to living with hearts not troubled. 
"Resolved, that I will live so as I shall wish I had done when I come to die." "Resolved, to examine carefully and constantly what that one thing in me is that causes me in the least to doubt the love of God; and so direct all my forces against it." "Resolved, to live with all my might, while I do live."

Dear sister... Let not your hearts be trouble. Neither let them be afraid. <3