Indeed the hour is coming…that you will be scattered… —John 16:32
Jesus was not rebuking the disciples in this passage. Their faith was real, but it was disordered and unfocused, and was not at work in the important realities of life. The disciples were scattered to their own concerns and they had interests apart from Jesus Christ. After we have the perfect relationship with God, through the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit, our faith must be exercised in the realities of everyday life. We will be scattered, not into service but into the emptiness of our lives where we will see ruin and barrenness, to know what internal death to God’s blessings means. Are we prepared for this? It is certainly not of our own choosing, but God engineers our circumstances to take us there.
Are we prepared to be separated from the outward, evident blessings of God? Until Jesus Christ is truly our Lord, we each have goals of our own which we serve. Our faith is real, but it is not yet permanent. And God is never in a hurry. If we are willing to wait, we will see God pointing out that we have been interested only in His blessings, instead of in God Himself. The sense of God’s blessings is fundamental.“…be of good cheer, I have overcome the world” (John 16:33). Unyielding spiritual fortitude is what we need.
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April 4, 2017
Journal Entry for Today-JDV
Good morning God and thank You for this new day. This devotional hits home, right about the place where my worry grabbed hold of my fear and took off on its own. And while my worry, fear and concern developed a life all their own, it occurred to me that I had, for some reason, been unable to surrender burdens I have been carrying for the past several days.
And God says…”I have taken you through some refining fires, and while it is easy to feel as if I have deserted you, that is not the case. I am with you always even until the end of the age. I will never leave you nor forsake you. Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”
“I may not remove the circumstance or issue that is causing your worry and fear, but I can, and will give you strength and peace right inside the problem. Do not try to get out of your troubles too early, let them have their perfect result, helping to shape you into the man we both need for tomorrow. Trust in Me with all your heart, and do not rely on your own understanding, and I will make your paths straight. Seek first the kingdom of God, which is Jesus, and I will provide everything else you require for your daily living; including the peace that passes all understanding