Trust in Jesus

Posted on by Adrian Clark

“Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me. There is more than enough room in my Father’s home. If this were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am.”
John 14:1-3 NLT

At the end of the previous chapter, Jesus had just prophesised that Peter was going to betray Him soon, in fact, before the rooster had crowed three times. But He swiftly moved on, and, perhaps seeing the distress building in the disciples’ faces, Jesus started to talk to them about the future. In this chapter, and the following two, Jesus spoke many words of comfort, including what was going to happen in the coming month and years, and beyond, and about the coming of the Holy Spirit. Then we have Jesus’ prayer, leading up to His arrest in the garden. Wonderful words of comfort that must have sustained the disciples’ through the coming turbulent times.

Jesus started by saying “Don’t let your hearts be troubled”. Don’t be sad or worried, He said; rather, “Trust in God, and trust also in me”. These words have had a timeless impact in the lives of the followers of Christ, and still do today. We look around at world events and issues we are facing and the words of Jesus hang in the air before us, as He says, “trust in Me”. What are we pilgrims facing today? Do we need encouragement? Well, Jesus has the answer. No-one else can supply the security and assurance for the future than Jesus. All the disciples, except John, were to suffer a violent death, prematurely ending their lives. I can almost hear the thinking going on in their minds, as they faced into a horrendous series of events unfolding around them. The words of Jesus to not be anxious and fearful, and to trust in Him, would have been with them, providing comfort in their times of need.

But what does it mean to trust in Jesus? These are not just words of comfort. They are living and real, and we find in the Bible all about why we should trust Jesus. We overlay the Bible and its truths over world events and find practical advice and instructions that will never disappoint. In Jeremiah 17:7-8 we read, “But blessed are those who trust in the Lord and have made the Lord their hope and confidence. They are like trees planted along a riverbank, with roots that reach deep into the water. Such trees are not bothered by the heat or worried by long months of drought. Their leaves stay green, and they never stop producing fruit”. 

So, fellow trees, we are truly blessed as we trust in God. There is no other person or circumstance in this world, and never will be, worthy of our trust. 

Dear God. In You we trust. Forever. Amen.

Suffering

Posted on by Adrian Clark

“Remember, it is better to suffer for doing good, if that is what God wants, than to suffer for doing wrong!”
1 Peter 3:17 NLT

Does anyone not experience some form of suffering in their lives? There is the pain of an injury or illness. There is the grief associated with the loss of a loved one. The emotional pain when a relationship breaks down. Of course, there are many degrees of suffering, but we have all experienced it at one time or another. Peter, in today’s verse, added the thought that we can even end up suffering for doing a good deed. In today’s media there is the sad story of a man who was attacked and killed by two dogs because he was protecting his elderly mother. A good deed ending in a person’s death. We must also remember that doing a bad deed will often result in some form of suffering, as the civil authorities take action and prosecute a person for breaking a law. Note that Peter did not say that suffering was inevitable, but he contrasted the suffering resulting from a good deed with that gained by doing a bad deed. If the suffering was the result of a good deed in line with something that God wanted, then that was the better place.

On a more global scale, modern media brings to our attention disasters, wars and other events that bring much suffering, and all in real time. So almost at the same time as it happens we hear about the devastating earthquakes in Morocco or the floods in Libya. Events that have brought other people’s suffering right into our thoughts through our smartphones or TV. “Why does God allow such suffering to happen” is the clarion call that goes out in response. Jesus Himself warned about such world events. In Matthew 24:7-8 we read, “Nation will go to war against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in many parts of the world. But all this is only the first of the birth pains, with more to come“. The Book of Revelation details the plagues that will occur on Planet Earth as the End Time events take their course. Why? Because we live in a sad and dark world blighted by sin. Are the floods, famines and other natural events the result of mankind trashing the planet through the exploitation of natural resources? Perhaps, but one day God will explain all to those who ask. At such times we pilgrims turn to Scriptures, such as Psalm 46:1-3, “God is our refuge and strength, always ready to help in times of trouble. So we will not fear when earthquakes come and the mountains crumble into the sea. Let the oceans roar and foam. Let the mountains tremble as the waters surge“.

At a more personal level, suffering can result from our life choices. But in it all, we start to see some answers when we turn to God. The Book of Job is dedicated to suffering and is well worth a read. But neither Job or his friends could see a reason for his suffering. In the end he was silent before God, still in the dark about the purposes, but realising that through it all he had to trust in God. When we go through times of suffering, the natural response is to turn our backs on God, blaming Him for the situation we are in, but in times such as these our only response is to turn to Him, because he will stand with us in our troubles and support us through them all, step by step. 

Dear Father God. We trust You through all our trials and tribulations. For that we are deeply grateful. Amen.

The Cornerstone

Posted on by Adrian Clark

“God warned them of this in the Scriptures when he said, “I am placing a stone in Jerusalem that makes people stumble, a rock that makes them fall. But anyone who trusts in him will never be disgraced.””
Romans 9:33 NLT

“Therefore, this is what the Sovereign Lord says: “Look! I am placing a foundation stone in Jerusalem, a firm and tested stone. It is a precious cornerstone that is safe to build on. Whoever believes need never be shaken. I will test you with the measuring line of justice and the plumb line of righteousness. Since your refuge is made of lies, a hailstorm will knock it down. Since it is made of deception, a flood will sweep it away.”
Isaiah 28:16-17 NLT

Paul tells his readers that one day there will be Someone placed in Jerusalem (“Zion” in the Greek version) who will bring security and peace to anyone who believes in Him. We know, of course, who this “Person” is. He is none other than Jesus Christ, the Son of God. He was quoting from Isaiah 28:16,  a verse that we have included today. But if there is ever a time when there is much stumbling and shaking going on, it is in these 21st Century days. Geopolitical uncertainties through wars and threats seem to be greater now than they have ever been. There are unstable leaders intent on implementing their own agendas. Different national ideologies are constantly in conflict. On the domestic UK front, lobby groups stridently declare their own particular ideology, trying to force political parties and urban councils into adopting their extreme beliefs. Protest groups cause disruption to the general public, with the police seemingly powerless to stop them. As the old song says, “there’s an awful lot of shaking going on”!

But why should anyone be surprised? Way back in history, a Jewish prophet declared that the “refuge” adopted by most people “is made of lies”. Nations that have displaced God, instead implementing their own secular systems, lacking in either justice or righteousness, find that very soon their houses built on the sands of human effort, come crashing down. Throughout history, empires have emerged, only to disappear a relatively short time later, collapsing under the weight of their own corruption and ideologies. 

Isaiah’s prophesy still applies today. God said that peoples and nations will be tested, and unless they meet the standards of righteousness and justice, they will soon find that “a hailstorm will knock it down”. And “a flood will sweep it away”. Thankfully, for God-followers everywhere, we can put our trust in Him and find the peace and security so lacking everywhere else. Jesus compassionately invited people oppressed by life in their times to let Him share their burdens. we read in Matthew 11:28-30,

Isaiah’s prophesy still applies today. God said that peoples and nations will be tested, and unless they meet the standards of righteousness and justice, they will soon find that “a hailstorm will knock it down”. And “a flood will sweep it away”. Thankfully, for God-followers everywhere, we can put our trust in Him and find the peace and security so lacking everywhere else. Jesus compassionately invited people oppressed by life in their times to let Him share their burdens. We read in Matthew 11:28-30, “Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light“. Jesus will never close the door in our faces. He will always keep it open for earnest seekers after His truth. He came to this world bringing the Good News of the Kingdom of God, a Kingdom that will never be shaken. At the end of Psalm 136 we read, “Give thanks to the God of heaven. His faithful love endures forever“. Everything else will disappear one day.

Father God We thank You for Your endless love. You carry our burdens. You give us the peace our souls crave for. We are so grateful. Amen.