August
7, 2005
Trust
In God Always
"Set
your troubled hearts at rest. Trust in God always; trust also
in Me." (1)
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. (2) Judas had already left to betray Jesus,
and Jesus had just revealed to Peter that Peter would deny
Him before morning. (3) 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." (4)
"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." (5) He told them that He
would send the Holy Spirit to be with them and that He would
not leave them as orphans. (6)
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"
(7) 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." (8)
"Set
your troubled hearts at rest. Trust in God always; trust also
in Me!"
1. John
14:1, NEB.
2. John 13:21, 33.
3. John 13:30, 38.
4. John 14:1-3.
5. Desire Of Ages, p. 388.
6. John 14:17, 18.
7. John 14:16, NKJV.
8. Matthew 28:18, 20.
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