John 16:33 - Peace In Jesus - The Word of God.
John 16:33 - Peace In Jesus - The Word of God.
John 16:33 (NKJV) These things I have spoken to you, that in Me
you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be
of good cheer, I have overcome the world."
The disciples believed wholeheartedly that Jesus came from
God, and Jesus accepted their profession of faith (John 17:8), yet
they still deserted him after Jesus was arrested (see Mark 14:50).
Jesus knew they would desert him, yet he accepted their words. He knew
they would have to grow into men whose lives matched their words,
even to the point of death.
The same is often true of us. Although we believe with our
whole hearts, we still struggle to match our lives to our words. But
the same is still true of Jesus. He accepts our inconsistent faith.
Like the disciples, we must grow into people whose lives match our
words, even to the point of dying to ourselves.
We may scatter at the first signs of trouble, but Jesus
didn't. Where we fail, Jesus has succeeded. Where we are overcome by the
world, Jesus has overcome. It is not our own inconsistent faith that we
depend on. It is Jesus' constant faithfulness. We don't put faith in
our own faith. We put our faith in Jesus. [One Year NLT SB re vv.
32, 33]
ILLUSTRATION
Windshield Wipers and God's Forgiveness
One rainy afternoon I was driving along one of the main
streets of town, taking those extra precautions necessary when the roads
are wet and slick. Suddenly, my daughter, Aspen, spoke up from her
relaxed position in her seat. "Dad, I'm thinking of something." This
announcement usually meant she had been pondering some fact for a while, and
was now ready to expound all that her six-year-old mind had
discovered. I was eager to hear. "What are you thinking?" I asked. "The
rain!;" she began, "is like sin, and the windshield wipers are like God
wiping our sins away." After the chill bumps raced up my arms I was
able to respond. "That's really good, Aspen." Then my curiosity broke
in. How far would this little girl take this revelation? So I
asked... "Do you notice how the rain keeps on coming? What does that tell
you?" Aspen didn't hesitate one moment with her answer: "We keep on
sinning, and God just keeps on forgiving us." I will always remember this
whenever I turn my wipers on. In order to see the rainbow, you must first
endure some rain. -Unknown Author
If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us
our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:9
(NKJV)
http://cowpi.com/journal/2005/03/windshield-wipers
http://www.heavensinspirations.com/rain.html
