Reading: Genesis 33-35, John 14
Has your heart been troubled? Today, we read that Jesus gives us the ultimate and only true peace of mind and heart that the world cannot provide. He reiterates over and over that He is the only true way to this peace and to great guidance, which is to His Father. He promises that when we follow Him, we will receive these things and we shouldn't be troubled by the circumstances that threaten to overcome us.
We see this play out greatly as we continue to read of Jacob and his family. There is a lot of "life" lived in these 3 short chapters of Genesis. Jacob and Esau reconcile. Rachel dies. Jacob is left with another son. His daughter is raped. His sons slaughter a village. They are moved again. And Isaac, Jacob's father dies.
We continue to see the faithfulness Jacob has in the Lord, however. God continues to bless and protect him and his family as they endure life. Jacob learns many lessons throughout his life, including the ones we've seen with cheating others, reconciliation, humility, parenting, etc. I think we can relate to Jacob in many ways - hopefully not in a "my family slaughtered an entire village" sort of way though... But we can see how God works in the situations that come our way and grows us through them. Jacob is angry at his sons for killing as he fears his reputation, but we see that God has bigger things in mind as he continues to lead him to protection.
Jesus came to offer us that peace. There is something to be said about a person who relies on Him when life hits the fan and things seem to be falling apart. The disciples felt this way, I'm sure, as they were told by Jesus that He was leaving them. They couldn't grasp it, and they didn't want to let Him go. But Jesus reassures them and tells them they will have guidance and peace. How would this be any different for us as His followers today? We can bet that staying in tune with Him will provide us with the peace that the world cannot offer (John 14:27).
Where is your heart today? Are you relying heavily on what this world is trying to offer for the ultimate "comfort", peace, and understanding? Jesus tells us that this can only come through His Father through Him. I can tell you firsthand that there has never been a truer statement. When life goes south and things begin to fall apart, looking to Christ will pull you through every time and leave a lasting imprint. Don't let your heart be troubled by the things of this world and of this life. Give your heart to God and let Him place a great peace and protection over it.
No comments:
Post a Comment