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"Do Not Let Your Heart be Troubled"
Andrea Lende • November 8, 2020
John 14:1 and 16
“Do Not Let Your Hearts be Troubled”
You can also listen to the meditation and prayer at: https://anchor.fm/andrea-lende/episodes/Do-Not-Let-Your-Hearts-be-Troubled-em6nvq
John 14:1 and 16
“Do not let your hearts be troubled (distressed, agitated). You believe in and adhere to and trust and rely on God; believe in and adhere to and trust in and rely also on Me.”
“And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Comforter (Counselor, Helper, Intercessor, Advocate, Strengthener, and Standby), that He may remain with you forever.”
Jesus was talking with His disciples not too long before His crucifixion.
He was giving them some final nuggets of wisdom and instructions.
As we go through some more difficult times with the pandemic increasing and things closing down, I needed these exact words today.
Our first verse was the first verse I was blessed to read today.
Jesus said, “Do not let your hearts be troubled.”
He said this as He was preparing for the most pivotal and important act in history – His death and resurrection.
So, today as chaos seems to be more of the norm than peace, I take heed to the Lord’s command.
I will not let my heart be troubled.
The word troubled here is further defined as distressed and agitated.
I will not let my heart be distressed or agitated either.
The Lord also told the disciples to simply believe in Him.
The Amplified Bible further defines the word believe in this passage to mean adhere to, trust, and rely.
We need to cling to the Lord.
Trust Him and rely on Him for everything that is occurring and know He has a plan.
Sometimes I get lost in the minutia of all that is happening, but that is not what the Lord called me to do.
He told me to believe in Him, trust in Him, rely on Him, and adhere to Him.
I find this beautiful perspective changes everything for me and will bring peace of mind today.
Jesus also told the disciples He was going to send a “Comforter (Counselor, Helper, Intercessor, Advocate, Strengthener, and Standby)”.
We can call upon the help of the Holy Spirit to assist us in all that we need.
Today I choose to believe in the Lord, His Son, and ask for all I need through the power of the Holy Spirit.
May you find as you believe and rely on the Lord that He will give you all the help you need through His Holy Spirit as well as quiet your mind and heart.
Daily Prayer:
O Lord, my God, thank You for reminding me to rely on You instead of allowing myself to be troubled and agitated. Thank You for reminding me that You send Your Holy Spirit to assist me in every way. He will comfort me, counsel me, help me, intercede for me, advocate for me, strengthen me, and standby waiting to assist me at all times. Thank You, Lord, for all You do for me and all You are. Thank You for being the Great I AM. There is no better place to go for help than in prayer at Your feet. I love You, Lord. You are the God of this universe and God of my heart. You complete me in every way. Thank You, Father, for choosing me to know You and worship You. Help me give every piece of my heart to You so You can make it Yours. May Your peace be upon me. May Your grace roll over my heart and my life. May Your favor be upon me, Lord. Thank You for forgiveness and salvation, Father. Thank you for saving me time and time again. Help me bless others as You bless me. Thank You for hearing my prayer.
Answer: I AM always ready and waiting to assist you, My child, and will always keep you Mine.
Response: Undeserving of Your love, thank You, most gracious and loving Father.
We start a New Year! How exciting! Paul had just finished telling the Ephesians to put off their old nature. They had been run around by their feelings and desires. He told them to be renewed in their spirit. The Amplified Bible defines this to be “having a fresh mental and spiritual attitude.” As we say goodbye to this year, let us put on the new and leave the old behind. We have an opportunity to reflect on what to bring forward into this New Year.
This is a great message for the New Year. We can be in control of our own words. As a mother, I used to tell my children to use their words to explain what was happening in their minds. I tried to help them find the right words. Words that would help the situation and not make it worse. I must do the same thing when talking to them. It’s important to use words that do not damage their spirits. Words that lift up instead of tear down. Even though my children have grown, I still want to be careful how I speak to them because my worlds will impact them for the rest of their lives.
As we approach the New Year, it is a perfect time to take inventory of what part of our lives, our hearts, and our souls are not bearing fruit. What can we give up as this year comes to a close? What do we need to give to the Lord for His cleansing and pruning? The answers to these questions take time. Time with the Lord. We are creatures of routines and habits which serve us well. But we can also change our routines and habits to serve us and the Lord better. So, we can ask God to show us what He wants us to give up so that He can have more of us.
I cannot think of a better verse to meditate on as we approach the New Year. Jesus said, "the kingdom of God is within you [in your hearts] and among you [surrounding you]." For so many years I believed I had to wait to go to heaven to experience the kingdom of God. I have longed to step into heaven and meet the Lord and His Son. However, as we read the Gospels and study Jesus and all that He said, we begin to understand the kingdom of God is all around us. The kingdom of God is within.
Paul wrote to the Colossians and told them he was praying for them. He prayed they would be refreshed, renewed, and invigorated. He also prayed they would be strengthened. May his prayer be heard by the Lord God Almighty on our behalf today just as it was received two thousand years ago. God is the Source of all things beautiful and wonderful. There is no shortage of renewal, refreshment, or inspiration in His kingdom. And as the Creator of this universe, He continues to pour all good things into His people. Paul wrote that refreshment and strength are needed so we may have endurance.
This verse is the perfect verse to reflect on as Christmas comes to a close. The Lord sent His Son to us. He sent Him to this world as a babe. Jesus was given the task of growing up. A difficult one for all of us. He endured the awkward stages we all go through as we grow past them. I look back at old picture and cringe, yes, I cringe. This life provides plenty of opportunities to feel awkward and just plain weird, but our Father loves us as though we are perfect every day of our lives. This is why Jesus came. He came to make us perfect in God’s sight.
God made Himself flesh so He could take away the sins of the world. The story of the very first Christmas was humble, yet the most powerful and loving birth ever recorded in history. All humanity changed in an instant. When Jesus was born, love filled the earth. Love came down and lifted us up. The angels came to tell the shepherds of this beautiful birth. The stars in the heavens also told the story. As we do all tasks that we do to ensure a beautiful Christmas day, may we remember the miracle that God sent long ago. The miracle of all miracles.
The first Christmas was going to be documented, so that it could be read many times over for all Christmas’ to come. It was also documented so the prophecy of the Messiah’s birth would be known to be fulfilled. Prophets of old foretold Jesus would come from the house of David. They also prophesied that He would be born in Bethlehem. And all this came to pass. Even though Jesus would be known as a Nazarene, His beginning began in Bethlehem. God’s divine plan was set in motion with the first census while Mary was at the end of her pregnancy.
What a wonderful passage to read during Christmas week. Our passage touched my heart as I read it through the lens of Jesus’ birth. “It was God [personally present] in Christ, reconciling and restoring the world to favor with Himself.” We have so much to be thankful for in these few short words, “restoring the world to favor with Himself.” So undeserved and yet so graciously given. We are offered favor with the Lord. Imagine having favor with the almighty God, the Creator of the universe. Jesus chose to leave heaven’s door where all was perfect. He chose to be born into this dusty messy world.
Jesus had just spoken to a fig tree and deemed it unworthy to live because it had no fruit on it. His disciples were amazed when they saw the fig tree wither and die. Then the Lord talked to them about prayer and belief. He told them that whatever they asked for, if they had the faith and belief, they would receive it. I remember the day I started hearing music and lyrics. I had just bowed my head at the piano and asked if the Lord would bless praise and worship music. As soon as I prayed that prayer, the Lord bestowed the gift of song writing upon me.