Unbreakable Joy: Trouble?

Monday, September 8, 2008

Trouble?

John 16:33b (NIV)
In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.

Troubled? Considering Jesus' words in John 16:33 we ought not be surprised. Yet in the midst of this troubling statement there is tremendous hope.

In contemplating this verse lately it occurred to me that Jesus graced this troublesome verse with great hope that may remain uncovered with a surface reading of the text. The huge hope that has struck me profoundly as of late is this; Jesus said the trouble would be "in this world." Simply put, the trouble we may face during our sojourn is limited to here.

There awaits for us a home eternally free from trouble, pain, persecution, hopelessness, anxiety, and turmoil. Jesus has promised He will prepare a place for us, and He will keep His word! This great new creation will exist free from the effects of sin and the fall, as it has been designed to do. Remember, He is able to do exceedingly and abundantly more than we could ever ask or imagine.

I also find much help in Jesus' followup phrase, "I have overcome the world." No we're not Jesus, but as Del's great message from a few weeks ago reminded us, Jesus comes to live in us and to empower us to live as He did. The great quandary with the hardship and trouble in this life is not why must we endure this, but rather why would He endure this, when He did not have to?

Take heart! Our great King has dealt the final blow to death and hell. He has brought restoration to those devastated by the fall. Indeed He has overcome and has, "led captivity captive and gave gifts to men." The greatest of all of these gifts given to men was the gift of Himself, that we might glorify Him by enjoying Him forever.

1 comment:

mwh said...: I need to meditate on verses like this one more often, rather than becoming so worried and discouraged.

Thanks for the post and reminder.; September 10, 2008 at 9:36 AM

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Noteworthy Quotes

Christianity preaches the infinite worth of that which is seemingly so worthless and the infinite worthlessness of that which is seemingly so valued.
- Dietrich Bonhoeffer

I saw more clearly than ever, that the first great and primary business to which I ought to attend every day was, to have my soul happy in the Lord.
- George Mueller

If I find in myself a desire which no experience in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that I was made for another world.
- C.S. Lewis

A pharisee is hard on others and easy on himself, a spiritual man is hard on himself and easy on others.
- A. W. Tozer

Our hearts are restless until we find our rest in Thee.
- Augustine

All men seek happiness. This is without exception. Whatever different means they employ, they all tend to this end. The cause of some going to war, and of others avoiding it, is the same desire in both, attended with different views. The will never takes the least step but to this object. This is the motive of every action of every man, even of those who hang themselves.
- Blaise Pascal

He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.
- Jim Elliot

Indeed, if we consider the unblushing promises of reward and the staggering nature of the rewards promised in the Gospels, it would seem that Our Lord finds our desires not too strong, but too weak. We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased.
- C. S. Lewis

He loves Thee too little, who loves anything together with Thee, which he loves not for Thy sake.
- Augustine

The men of this world are children. Offer a child an apple or a bank note, and he will doubtless choose the apple.
- John Newton

In the end the heart longs not for any of God's good gifts, but for God Himself. To see Him and know Him and be in His presence is the soul's final feast. Beyond this there is no quest. Words fail. We call it pleasure, joy, delight. But these are weak pointers to the unspeakable experience.
- John Piper

God cannot give us happiness and peace apart from Him, because it is not there. There is no such thing.
- C.S. Lewis

It is well that we accept the hard truth now: The man who would know God must give time to Him. He must count no time wasted which is spent in the cultivation of His acquaintance. He must give himself to meditation and prayer hours on end. So did the saints of old, the glorious company of the apostles, the Godly fellowship of the prophets and the believing members of the holy church in all generations. And so must we if we would follow in their train.
- A.W. Tozer

If God contains the fullness of all good things in Himself like an inexhaustible fountain, nothing beyond him is to be sought by those who strike after the highest good and all the elements of happiness.
- John Calvin

God is most glorified in you when you are most satisfied in Him.
- John Piper

God glorifies Himself toward the creature in two ways; by appearing to their understanding, and in communicating Himself to thief hearts and their rejoicing in and delighting in Him, and enjoying manifestations He makes of Himself. God is Glorified not only by His glories being seen, but by it’s being rejoiced in. When those that see it delight in it God is more glorified than if they only see it. His glory is then received by the whole soul, both by the understanding and by the heart. God made the world that he might communicate and the creature receive His glory, and that it might be received both by the mind and the heart. He that testifies His idea of God’s glory doesn’t glorify God so much as he that testifies also his approbation of it and his delight in it.
- Jonathan Edwards