Trust, Courage, Peace

 “I have told you these things so that in Me you may have peace. You will have suffering in this world. Be courageous! I have conquered the world.”

‭‭John‬ ‭16‬:‭33‬ ‭HSCB

Have you ever felt you weren’t qualified for the “job”?  Let me put it another way, you weren’t qualified for the task Jesus has given you or asked of you? 

The above verse has three words in it that stand out by themselves.  Peace, suffering, courageous.  Jesus tells us He will give us peace.  In the same verse He tells us we will have suffering.  Then the final thing He asks of us is to be courageous.  He tells us “He has conquered the world”. 

Wow what a powerful few words.  Jesus doesn’t waste any time asking and encouraging us to do His will.  He doesn’t ask us to be courageous, He tells us.  Why can He be so certain and bold?  First because He is God.  Next because He has conquered the world.  Conquered the world!  Wow!  

We all can grasp the idea of having peace and to be courageous.  But why did Jesus put suffering in the middle of that. That seems to me that Jesus was making it “real” for us.  Suffering is something we all can relate to.  In one way or another we have suffered.  Physically with sickness or ailments.  Emotionally because we have lost a loved one.  And many other ways we have walked through suffering.  But Jesus tells us to be courageous.  Stand up tall and face the situation with the courage Jesus has filled us with.  He has prepared our way.  He has prepared us.  

Jesus isn’t asking us to take on the problems of the whole world.  He just gives us a particular task to do.  We often think what if we fail.  Do you really think our God is going to throw us out into the world, all alone, and watch us fail.  Absolutely not!  Jesus loves us way too much.  Like Peter walking on water with Jesus nearby.  Peter started to doubt, became afraid, and began to sink.  What did Jesus do?  He reached out and grabbed Peter’s hand and pulled him in closer to Jesus.  He wasn’t going to stand there waiting for Peter to fail and drown.  He won’t let that happen to us either.  His love is so strong and powerful.  He loves us so much.  

Jesus says TRUST Him, have COURAGE in Him, and to have that powerful PEACE within us.  

We are not alone, He is with us.