You will encounter various trials
We often have a mind set that everything needs to go
smoothly. That the life Jesus has for me is one that never includes
trouble. That when I accept Him as my Savior, He actually becomes my
servant, to fix all the problems around me. It’s the “put your feet up
Christian life” that He paid for. We wind up asking the question
“When is it going to finally get here?”
From the time I was young I remember commercials advertising “freedom
55”, the magical age to retire and not have any thing holding you back.
I can still see the pictures of a husband and wife that look to be in
their 40’s walking the beach with not a care in the world. We are being
bombarded with a message that what we have is not good enough and are
to live for a day in the future that may never come.
In the midst of the storm, where is due north?
Jesus never promised us a trouble free life, a life with
no challenges or adversity. Dare I say, a life free of… trials. John
16:33 “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.” Our peace can only be found in Him. This is our “due
north”. Upon salvation He has taken up residence inside of us and
established peace in us, the Kingdom in us. Oh yes, the world we have
been sent into will have troubles, troubles that we will face, troubles
that the enemy will try to use to shake our peace. Troubles that we
are well equipped to handle because we are filled with the Prince of
Peace. We cannot afford to be shaken by circumstances because it is
not the situations that we find ourselves in that determine our peace.
Retiring at 55 doesn’t offer us our peace. Rejection by our friends at
school does not determine our peace. Knowing the day of Jesus’ return
will not give us peace. Jesus assures us that He is victorious. The
world is defeated and that our peace is found In Christ! That the
troubles that we will encounter are there to be overcome by us. The
kingdoms of this world are becoming the Kingdoms of our God by the
indwelling peace that passes all understanding!
Run to the Fire!
Rich
