February
25, 2003
TRUST
IN GOD ALWAYS
"Set
your troubled hearts at rest. Trust in God always; trust also
in Me"
(John 14:1, NEB).
Jesus
had just told His disciples that one of them was going to
betray Him and that He would be leaving them and they could
not come with Him (John 13:21, 33). Judas had already left
to betray Jesus, and Jesus had just revealed to Peter that
Peter would deny Him before morning (John 13:30, 38). The
disciples were bewildered and perplexed.
The disciples
could not rejoice when they heard this. To Him they had looked
for help in all their difficulties. Now He was to leave them?
This was far from their expectations. Fear fell on them.
Jesus
immediately pointed them away from the dark forebodings that
filled their hearts. "Set your
troubled hearts at rest" He said. "Trust
in God always; trust also in Me. There are many dwelling places
in My Father's house; if it were not so I would have told
you; for I am going there on purpose to prepare a place for
you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come
again and receive you to myself, so that where I am you may
be also" (John 14:1-3).
"The
object of Christ's departure was the opposite of what the
disciples feared. It did not mean a final separation. He was
going to prepare a place for them that He might come again,
and receive them to Himself" (Desire Of Ages, p. 388).
He told them that He would send the Holy Spirit to be with
them and that He would not leave them as orphans (John 14:17,
18).
The Disciples
were being prepared for life without the physical presence
of Jesus. However, Jesus was assuring them He was not abandoning
them and that God the Father would send to them a "Helper"
(John 14:16, NKJV) that would be with them "forever."
Jesus
reinforced this message after His resurrection. He told His
disciples, that includes you and me when we accept Him as
our Saviour, "All authority has
been given to Me in heaven and on earth.-- and lo, I am with
you always, even to the end of the age" (Matthew
28:18, 20).
"Set
your troubled hearts at rest. Trust in God always trust also
in Me!"
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