Troubled Hearts

“Do not let your hearts be troubled. Believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father’s house there are many dwelling places. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, so that where I am, there you may be also." John 14:1-3 NRSV

Sometimes not allowing your heart to be troubled is a whole lot easier said than done. I spend a whole lot of time in prayer so that I can be reassured by God's presence that He is actually with me and with those whom I love. I spend a lot of time in the word so that I might be reassured of God's promise of eternal reconciliation with the One who loves me and the whole world enough to die for us.

As I consider what most troubles my heart, I find that it is concern for those who have not accepted Jesus as their Savior and Lord. My heart is most often troubled with concern for those who do not follow in "The Way." My concern is that their hearts will be indefinitely troubled. My concern is that they might never know Jesus and I know that there can be no healing for their broken hearts except in Jesus the Christ.

I can do nothing except to pray and continue to encourage, with the word, those who do not follow Jesus to turn around and follow him.

Our hearts may be troubled for others. It is perfectly right that we should have hope that our loved ones would come to know Jesus. Yet, even while we are concerned for others we can know peace in the promise that Jesus has prepared a place in his Father's house for us; for all who believe. We can be confident that he will take us safely home.

God's Peace - Pr. J