If you would list your favorite promise of Jesus, which one would it be?
“I will be with you always.”
“Come unto me, and I will give you rest.”
“I am the resurrection and the life.”
“In this world you will have trouble”?
At first glance, that sounds like a terrible promise, doesn’t it? There’s no “maybe,” only a definite “will.” Sadly, we don’t have to look far to see how true it is.
And we don’t have to look far to find the cause—sin, including our own. Often, these earthly troubles cut us to the heart.
October is “Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month.” For many women, myself included, the very deep sorrow caused by miscarriage and infant loss is one of the proofs of this promise of earthly trouble.
Yet the troubles that break our hearts also broke the heart of Jesus. In love, he entered our troubled world, lived sinlessly, carried our guilt to the cross, and rose triumphantly. Though we deserve the consequences of sin, Jesus is our solution.
Here is his gracious promise: “Take heart! I have overcome the world.”
Not only will Jesus keep his promise to be with us always (he is!), and not only will he grant rest for the weary (he does!), but he has kept his promise to overcome the world for us. Through his resurrection, we gain the victory and the gift of eternal life.
“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world” (John 16:33).
What a beautiful promise! Although overwhelmed by sorrow, weakness, and trouble, we are handed the victory. Resting in him, we find peace amid both joys and sorrows—and the assurance of unending joy in heaven. In and through Jesus, we overcome.
Written by Wendi Schibbelhut
