Bible League: Living His Word "Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. In my Father's house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you?"— John 14:1-2 ESV Certainly, these words of Jesus were meant for all the disciples discoursing together in this Upper Room experience. The final weeks before the crucifixion had been filled with both a whirlwind and turmoil of emotional activity. A triumphal entry into the city a mere seven days before, where the Lord's popularity had seemingly hit a zenith, had the emotions of many running high. Would this be the beginning of a political override to quell the tyranny of Rome? However, it did not take long for the disciples to realize the mounting peril of Jesus, where all the religious leaders were set to put Him to death. And imagine the odorous whiff of shame and embarrassment passing through the Upper Room, when after arguing about who would be greatest in the kingdom of heaven (Luke 22:24-27), Jesus stood to disrobe, wrapped a towel around His waist, and began to wash each disciple's feet (John 13:1-17)! Indeed, the emotions of everyone in the room were on high alert, even those of Jesus (John 13:21). When He spoke these words of our verse for today, He knows of what He speaks. I doubt I would be wrong in stating that anxious, distressed-filled hearts reflect the greatest of world-wide pandemics throughout all time. Troubled hearts induce rage and fear, foolish decisions, and crippling despair. A troubled heart blurs the clarity of moving forward, thrusting one in a mode of inactivity. A troubled heart can ultimately leave one standing alone, broken in a helpless hopelessness. But Jesus would not have anyone stand in such despair, fueling their troubled heart. His words to the disciples are words for us today. Read slowly the words of our verses again, and see that God is offering a key to the release of heart trouble. "Let not your hearts be troubled." Literally, Jesus is saying to resist the constant focus upon the crippling effects of heart trouble and instead, "put your trust in God and also in me." Trust in God who has always been in control of all circumstances, Who already knows how the pathway of life's past connects to the path forward, Who exercises infinite wisdom, power, and love in the way He deals with us. The late Ray Stedman, former pastor of Peninsula Bible Church, also reminds us to trust in Jesus: "... Who is the means by which all that wisdom, power, and love of God is made available to us." Easter provides an opportunity to focus on the only resolution for 'heart trouble.' For the disciples that Friday, things were grim and were about to get worse. They needed to refocus. Thank God—Sunday was coming! The death and resurrection of our Savior became the final antidote for heart trouble. Happy Resurrection Sunday! By Bill Niblette, Ph.D., Bible League International staff, Pennsylvania U.S. Bible in a Year Old Testament ReadingJudges 3, 4, 5 Judges 3 -- Israel's idolatry and Servitude; Deliverance by Othniel, Ehud and Shamgar NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB Judges 4 -- Deborah and Barak Deliver the People from the Canaanites NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB Judges 5 -- The Song of Deborah and Barak NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB New Testament Reading Luke 7:31-50 Luke 7 -- Jesus Heals a Centurion's Servant, Raises a Widow's Son, answer John's messengers; Mary Anoints Jesus NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB Reading Plan Courtesy of Christian Classics Etherial Library. Tyndale Life Application Daily Devotion But I know the LORD will help those they persecute;he will give justice to the poor. Insight To whom can the poor turn when they are persecuted? They lack the money to get professional help; they may be unable to defend themselves. But there is always someone on their side—the Lord will stand by them and ultimately bring about justice. Challenge This should be a comfort for us all. No matter what our situation may be, the Lord is with us. But this truth should also call us to responsibility. As God's people, we are required to defend the rights of the powerless. Morning and Evening by Spurgeon 2 Samuel 21:10 And Rizpah the daughter of Aiah took sackcloth, and spread it for her upon the rock, from the beginning of harvest until water dropped upon them out of heaven, and suffered neither the birds of the air to rest on them by day, nor the beasts of the field by night.If the love of a woman to her slain sons could make her prolong her mournful vigil for so long a period, shall we weary of considering the sufferings of our blessed Lord? She drove away the birds of prey, and shall not we chase from our meditations those worldly and sinful thoughts which defile both our minds and the sacred themes upon which we are occupied? Away, ye birds of evil wing! Leave ye the sacrifice alone! She bore the heats of summer, the night dews and the rains, unsheltered and alone. Sleep was chased from her weeping eyes: her heart was too full for slumber. Behold how she loved her children! Shall Rizpah thus endure, and shall we start at the first little inconvenience or trial? Are we such cowards that we cannot bear to suffer with our Lord? She chased away even the wild beasts, with courage unusual in her sex, and will not we be ready to encounter every foe for Jesus' sake? These her children were slain by other hands than hers, and yet she wept and watched: what ought we to do who have by our sins crucified our Lord? Our obligations are boundless, our love should be fervent and our repentance thorough. To watch with Jesus should be our business, to protect his honor our occupation, to abide by his cross our solace. Those ghastly corpses might well have affrighted Rizpah, especially by night, but in our Lord, at whose cross-foot we are sitting, there is nothing revolting, but everything attractive. Never was living beauty so enchanting as a dying Saviour. Jesus, we will watch with thee yet awhile, and do thou graciously unveil thyself to us; then shall we not sit beneath sackcloth, but in a royal pavilion. Daily Light on the Daily Path 2 Corinthians 6:14 Do not be bound together with unbelievers; for what partnership have righteousness and lawlessness, or what fellowship has light with darkness?John 3:19 "This is the judgment, that the Light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil. 1 Thessalonians 5:5 for you are all sons of light and sons of day. We are not of night nor of darkness; 1 John 2:11 But the one who hates his brother is in the darkness and walks in the darkness, and does not know where he is going because the darkness has blinded his eyes. Psalm 119:105 Your word is a lamp to my feet And a light to my path. Psalm 74:20 Consider the covenant; For the dark places of the land are full of the habitations of violence. 1 John 4:7,8 Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. • The one who does not love does not know God, for God is love. Proverbs 4:19,18 The way of the wicked is like darkness; They do not know over what they stumble. • But the path of the righteous is like the light of dawn, That shines brighter and brighter until the full day. John 12:46 "I have come as Light into the world, so that everyone who believes in Me will not remain in darkness. Ephesians 5:8 for you were formerly darkness, but now you are Light in the Lord; walk as children of Light New American Standard Bible Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved. For Permission to Quote Information visit http://www.lockman.org. |
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