<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
John 16:33\u00a0 \u201cThese 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.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
Late last year, a legendary women\u2019s soccer player, in the final game of her storied career, suffered a major Achilles injury. It wasn\u2019t necessarily the injury that made news, however. After all, injuries happen often, especially in the world of sports\u2014and even more so for professional athletes approaching 40 years of age.<\/p>\n
No, what made headlines was the expletive-filled rant she unleashed after the injury, during which she stated, \u201cI\u2019m not a religious person or anything, and if there was a God, like, this is proof that there isn\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n
In short, the soccer player said that God\u2019s existence is dependent upon her health and success. Sadly, this human-focused, secular way of thinking is common. We live in a broken world, with tragedy all around us. On a large scale, we see wars, natural disasters, and mass shootings. Closer to home, many are dealing with divorce, lost jobs, financial struggles, debilitating or life-threatening health problems, or some other heartbreaking trial.<\/p>\n
Such things lead many to ask where God is in these situations and how He could let such things happen. Some, like the athlete I mentioned above, use the brokenness in the world as \u201cproof\u201d that there is no God.<\/p>\n
As Christians, however, we have a different view\u2014one that is rooted in God\u2019s Word. Though I don\u2019t have all the answers, there are a few things I do know because they\u2019re promised to us in the Bible.<\/p>\n
You will suffer and experience sorrow.\u00a0<\/strong><\/h3>\n
We all want to live a painless life, free from strife, stress and struggle. That is not reality, however. Since the days of Adam, human existence has been one of disease and conflict. We don\u2019t get a free pass as followers of Christ. In fact, Jesus told us in John 16:33 that the opposite is true:\u00a0\u201cIn the world you will have tribulation\u201d<\/em>\u00a0(NKJV).<\/p>\n
Further, short of Christ\u2019s return, death is also guaranteed. Hebrews 9:27 states,\u00a0\u201cIt is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment\u201d\u00a0<\/em>(NKJV). Ecclesiastes 12:7 says,\u00a0\u201cThen the dust will return to the earth as it was, and the spirit will return to God who gave it\u201d<\/em>\u00a0(NKJV). If suffering and death were proof that God doesn\u2019t exist, belief in Him would have been obsolete millennia ago, but God Himself, in His Word, tells us to expect such things.<\/p>\n
Christ has overcome the world.\u00a0<\/strong><\/h3>\n
As we walk through the challenges and struggles of life, it can sometimes feel like our situations are out of control. That is not the case, however. We can take solace in knowing that God sees and understands our struggles.<\/p>\n
A moment ago, I shared one portion of John 16:33, but there\u2019s more to that verse:\u00a0\u201cThese 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.\u201d<\/em>\u00a0Yes, there will be hard times\u2014it\u2019s guaranteed\u2014but there\u2019s also a promise: Christ has overcome the world, and He is in control. Because of that, we can have peace, even in the midst of sorrow and suffering.<\/p>\n
God will use your trial for good.\u00a0<\/strong><\/h3>\n
As we put our faith in Jesus, God promises to take our suffering and redeem it for a positive outcome. Romans 8:28 states,\u00a0\u201cAnd we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose\u201d<\/em>\u00a0(NKJV).<\/p>\n
You may be going through something that is incredibly difficult and painful. However, we can find peace knowing that\u2014as improbable as it may feel in the chaos and grief of the moment\u2014God has a plan. You may not get to see the answer this side of Heaven, but He is working through you and your situation.<\/p>\n
God is with you.\u00a0<\/strong><\/h3>\n
God is not abandoning you in the midst of your darkest hour. Rather, He is walking alongside you and seeks to comfort you in your suffering. Further, God promises that a glorious existence in Heaven waits on the other side of the painful realities of this world.<\/p>\n
Those who put their faith and hope in Jesus will experience what is described in Revelation 21:4:\u00a0\u201cAnd God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away\u201d<\/em>\u00a0(NKJV). Jesus Himself said,\u00a0\u201cI am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live\u201d<\/em>\u00a0(John 11:25, NKJV). What an amazing promise!<\/p>\n
My friends, God\u2019s existence, mercy, and goodness are not dependent upon our situations or sorrows. Those things are a part of life. Each of us will experience pain and death.<\/p>\n
In the end, the important thing isn\u2019t\u00a0when<\/em>\u00a0you stand\u00a0before\u00a0<\/em>God, but\u00a0where\u00a0<\/em>you stand\u00a0with\u00a0<\/em>God. If you\u2019ve placed your faith in Jesus, cling to Him. Cry out to Him, and find comfort in His peace that passes all understanding (see Philippians 4:6\u20137). If you haven\u2019t placed your faith in Jesus, please don\u2019t put it off any longer. He\u2019s the hope you\u2019re searching for, and the only true and lasting remedy in this broken world. (Graham)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
John 16:33\u00a0 \u201cThese 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.\u201d Late last year, a legendary women\u2019s soccer player, in the final game of her storied career, suffered a major Achilles … Continue reading “54.v. John 16:33”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-194700","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-daily-prayers"],"post_mailing_queue_ids":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.prayingpint.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/194700","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.prayingpint.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.prayingpint.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.prayingpint.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.prayingpint.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=194700"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.prayingpint.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/194700\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":194703,"href":"https:\/\/www.prayingpint.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/194700\/revisions\/194703"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.prayingpint.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=194700"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.prayingpint.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=194700"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.prayingpint.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=194700"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}