We’re living in the information age. And with cellphones, we’re in constant communication. I remember when the first cellphones came on the market. They were about the size of a World War II walkie-talkie. Over the years they got progressively smaller and more affordable.
Now everyone has them. And now everyone is talking on them 24/7. Not only that, they give us instant access to the latest news and information in real time. And this often fills us with anxiety and worry.
Stress is serious stuff. Researchers have found that a high level of stress actually can lead to obesity and trigger a raft of diseases, from heart attacks to ulcers, depression and nervous breakdowns. And according to experts, even cancer can be stress related.
When we look at all that is going on in our world today, we’re stressed.
Life is filled with troubles, and the Bible even tells us as much. In Job we read that “people are born for trouble as readily as sparks fly up from a fire” (Job 5:7 NLT).
Disappointments are a source of trouble, and we know that life is full of many disappointments. Maybe you’ve had certain goals that you set for yourself when you were younger, and you haven’t reached those goals. Perhaps you want to be a better person, but you’re falling short.
Circumstances are a source of trouble, too. Maybe you’ve had some bad news recently. Maybe you were laid off or you’re battling an illness or there are problems at home.
Here are the words that Jesus gave to some stressed out, agitated people, people whose hearts were disturbed: “Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me. There is more than enough room in my Father’s home. If this were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am” (John 14:1–4 NLT).
This is God’s cure for heart trouble.
Jesus addressed these words to the disciples after he had just revealed that he was going to be betrayed by one of their own. He also told them that Simon Peter would deny him. And then came the worst news of all: He was going to leave them.
They didn’t understand that Jesus came to Earth with the express purpose of going to a cross, dying for the sins of the world and rising again from the dead. They thought he would establish an earthly kingdom then and there.
So, when he told them he would be leaving them, they obviously were upset. In response he told them, “Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me.” He was saying, “Look, when it seems like your world is falling apart and darkness is going to overtake you, don’t let your heart be troubled.”
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These words also apply to us in our agitated, stress-filled world today. Let’s note Jesus’ first cure for heart trouble: “Trust in God, and trust also in me.” In other words, we need to take God at His word. In the original language, this is a command.
Do you trust in God? Not everyone does.
When you become a Christian, when you admit to God that you’re a sinner and ask Jesus Christ to come into your heart and be your Savior and Lord, he takes residence inside you. He also begins to reveal to you the custom plan that He has for your life.
You’re not merely a victim of faith, hoping that your luck doesn’t run out. Rather, you’re a child of God and under his divine protection. And for the Christian, the word “oops” is not in God’s vocabulary. He doesn’t make mistakes.
Not only that, but God has given us the user’s manual for life. Now, I admit that I love gadgets. But here’s the problem. I hate to read the user’s manual for gadgets. That is why, from time to time, I have some problems with them.
The same is true of life. We’re off and running, but we never read the user’s manual, which we call the Bible. In this user’s manual, God has told us how to live, what the purpose of life is and, most importantly, how to go to Heaven.
The Bible also tells us there are certain things we should not do, and there are certain things we should do if we want to live a life that is full and meaningful.
If God tells us not to do something, it is for our own good. Psalm 84:11 gives us this promise: “The Lord will withhold no good thing from those who do what is right” (NLT).
At the same time, God tells us what to do to live a life that will have meaning and purpose. The apostle Paul pointed out, “All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right” (2 Timothy 3:16 NLT).
Or, as The Living Bible puts it, “The whole Bible was given to us by inspiration from God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives; it straightens us out and helps us do what is right.”
We were hardwired, if you will, to know God, to know there is more to life. C.S. Lewis called this the “inconsolable longing,” a longing for Heaven. And Jesus has gone to prepare a place for us.
If you have put your faith in Jesus, then you can know that you’re going to Heaven. No matter what happens to you on this earth as a Christian, it pales when compared with this great hope.
Therefore, we don’t have to be filled with stress, agitation and fear, because the Bible is true. We can take God at his word.
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