“Be of good cheer, I have overcome the world!”(John 16:33, KJV).
…when the heart is bleeding and one is overcome with sorrow,
And pain and hurt is the everyday meal, the feet become heaven , the countenance falls, and God’s word is not eve heard at all:
Jesus speaks. Oh that our ears would be willing to hear His gracious and compassionate truth…but sometimes the darkness seems to envelope all of the light!
“I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33NIV).
“But what do I do?” “How can I go on?”
‘In this world you will have troubles, but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world…” Jesus speaks. We are weak and tire, ‘in this world’ but we cry out- “Help me choose to hear what is true! My anxious heart struggles, but I cry out, Help me: “Be still and know that You are God.” Ps. 46:10.
“I cried out to God with my voice – to God with my voice; And He gave ear to me. ” Psalm 77:1.
“Help me to not turn in anger against the One who is able to Comfort! Help me Lord in this time of trouble:
“In the day of my trouble I sought the Lord; My hand was stretched out in the night without ceasing; My soul refused to be comforted. I remembered God, and was troubled; I complained, and my spirit was overwhelmed.” Selah. Psalm 77:2.
“This is my anguish; But I will remember the years of the right hand of the most High. I will remember the works of the LORD.”(Psalm 77:10,11).
“Help me to remember what is true! “Lead me not into temptation, but delver me from evil.” (The Lord’s Prayer, Matthew 6).
“Lord, we come boldly before the throne of grace that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” Hebrews 4:16.
I run to Your word. Your word is truth. For many, this is a time of need! We cry out for ‘help!’ Moses prayed in anguish, and God, you answered Your servant when he asked to see Your glory – that is what we need, “O Lord, to see Your glory!” As you answered Moses long ago in his desert:
“I will also do this thing that you have spoken; for you have found grace in My sight, and I know you by name.” Exodus 33:17.
So, just as Moses asked, we will ask too:
“Please show me Your glory.”Exodus 33:18.
And Jesus, You, Yourself even told Mary and Martha when they were grieved over the death of their brother:
“Did I not say to you that if you would believe you would see the glory of God?” John 11:40.
Oh how we need to see Your glory dear Lord. These are times of loss and great darkness. “Oh God, show us Your glory!” This is our cry!
“Heal Your afflicted one!”
The words of Jesus, written for us: “Your brother will rise again.” John 11:23.
Our answer is just as the sister: “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.”John 11:24.
But this doesn’t take away the pain and the heart remains bleeding…
(NEVERTHELESS God… in the word that is read amidst tears and confusion and pain’), Jesus speaks: “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. “And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?”
So…we are asked. Even in this moment of great sadness and struggle. What is our answer? Today… “Dear Lord, increase our faith! May our answer be: “Yes, Lord, I believe that You are the Christ, the Son of God, who is to come into the world.” John 11:27.
Our hearts ache, we pour out our complaint to You, “Lord, heal Your afflicted !” And for many of us, ‘we’ are the afflicted!
And, Jesus told us already that we would have trouble, and trouble has come, BUT He has overcome the world! – not a people, but a philosophy, a system of thinking apart form God. And Jesus prayed for us! Jesus prays for us:
I pray for them. I am not praying for the world, but for those You have given Me, for they are Yours…I will remain in the world no longer, but they are still in the world, and I am coming to You.
Holy Father, protect them by the power of Your name – the name You gave Me – so that they may be one as we are one.”
“I am coming to You now, but I say these things while I am still in the world,
so that they may have the full measure of my joy within them.”(John 17:6-).
”For I gave them the words You gave me and they accepted them.” Is this true, today, for the afflicted? Did we ever imagine the ‘trouble’ that would come and the ‘struggle’ to believe?
O what a wrestling match it seems to be at times!
‘We are given choice. Do we receive this? Do we believe the words of the One in Whom the Father has sent for His people?
Well, what were some of the words?
Well, the Father allowed the Son to be led into the wilderness by the Spirit. (Matthew 4:1) Into a desert, Jesus was led.
Are you in a wilderness? Do you feel that you are in a desert? This is when the tempter will come.
In the world is the lust of the flesh.
“The tempter came to him(Jesus) and said,
“(Since)If You are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.”
Jesus: “It is written: ‘Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”
Have you been led into the wilderness? The tempter will tempt as he did the Lord, the temptation of ‘the pride of life’,
“Since You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down. For it is written,
“He will command His angels concerning you, and they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.”
Jesus: “It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’”
Have you been led into a desert by the Spirit? The tempter will come, he will tempt with ‘the lust of the eyes’.
He tempted Jesus, (Matthew 4:8) “Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. ‘All this I will give you,’he said, ‘if you will bow down and worship me.’”
Jesus: “Away from Me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve Him only.’”
Then the devil left Him and the angels came and attended Him.
“Be of good cheer, I have overcome the world!”
REVELATION 3:21,22, “To him who overcomes, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I overcame and sat down with my Father on His throne. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”
Did you know, that to him who overcomes, Jesus Himself will give right to sit with Him on His throne?!
He has given us the Word. We can overcome! May we have a ‘full measure of His joy within us’!
Today, in victory we receive: “Be of good cheer, I have overcome the world! Jesus!”