John 16:33: “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
Kate sat in the waiting room as they prepared for her therapy. She caught a glimpse of herself in one of the mirrors and noticed how scanty her hair had gotten due to the hairfall. The dark circles because of the sleepless nights were hard to ignore. She blessed the Lord for her mom and dad, who despite their age, supported her when Jack walked out on her and their little Angel. Her eyes began to tear up as she became aware of how painful the therapy was going to be, still, nothing compared to the harsh struggles she’d been fighting.
Our Lord Jesus had already forewarned us of ‘these’ things, so that we would not be caught off-guard, nor stumble or fall away, given the intensity of the sufferings we’d have to encounter. There will be experiences that would test our endurance, faith and even our mental strength, He said. You might think you are all alone, no one understands you and that life is unfair. But consider that in verse 32, just one verse before, the Lord Jesus said that all His disciples were going to go away, leaving Him alone. He knew exactly what it felt like to be lonely in the darkest hours of life.
The most beautiful part of this verse is when Christ says, “Yet, I am not alone, for the Father is with me.” And that is precisely what He tells us-“IN ME, you will have perfect peace and confidence.” In this world, you will have distress and frustrations, but refuse to be intimidated, discouraged or disappointed by what you see. Instead, choose to be of good cheer, confident of this-that Christ has deprived the enemy of the power to harm you.
