Let Not Your Heart Be Troubled - Study 7/23/13
Let Not Your Heart Be Troubled
No child wants to be left alone without knowing where his parents are. Children are afraid of the dark or even the daylight when they are not sure an adult is in near sight. I witnessed this today. My son Jonathan wanted to go to the bathroom. We were in a nearby bedroom but that was not enough to assure him of our closeness. He had to ask his sister Grace to standby the door while he used the bath room. You may say it is an unusual fear but we all have been there either as a child or an adult.
Imagine being with Jesus and He announces to you that He is leaving you. The worst of it is that where He is going you cannot join Him at this time. I don’t know about you but I will be troubled. Jesus knew that and He tells the same to His disciples on His way to the Cross. “Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me” John 14:1. Why did Jesus had to add believe in God and believe also in Me? For our hearts not to be troubled, we have to put our faith in God and in Jesus who is God. In fact the trinity (the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit) is always present and in unity at all times. John 14 is a clear presentation of the Trinity by Jesus Himself.
Whenever we think that God is not present, we feel afraid. We always feel secure and not afraid in the presence of the ones who love us. That is why the Scripture says perfect love casts out fear. Our fear disintegrates in the presence of God who loves us. Jesus knew this because He is the one who made us.
Jesus would further assure His disciples of His guaranteed presence which will eliminate every fear. Listen to Jesus, 25 “These things I have spoken to you while being present with you. 26 But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you. 27 Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. Right after telling the disciples about the Holy Spirit who is God, Jesus repeats the same admonition not to be afraid and not to be troubled.
What do we deduce from this? The presence of the Holy Spirit who is “with us and in us” is God’s solution for all our fears and troubles. Apostle Paul would later recap this while encouraging his son Timothy. “6 Therefore I remind you to stir up the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands. 7 For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind”. 2 Timothy 1:6-7. When we are afraid, God’s power and love are not active in our lives. In fact our minds are not sound in fear. We all suffer some level of craziness or mental health defect because of fear.
We are afraid and troubled in those areas of lives where we think God is not present and does not know about. But it is the lie of the devil. God is ever present with us. What are you afraid of? Or what areas are you afraid and troubled about? I am right now troubled and afraid of some health issues in my family; I am troubled and afraid of some issues in my marriage; I am afraid and troubled about the development of my kids and etc. Jesus is telling me, my son don’t be troubled and not to be afraid. Lord I hear you. Help me believe in the Father and believe in you Jesus and in your Holy Spirit you have sent me from the Father. I cast all my cares, fears and troubles to your feet and receive your peace.
Someone said that there are 365 “fear not” or “do not fear” in the Bible. I have not counted myself. It does then mean that we are warned not to fear every day of the year. I believe God is serious about this issue and fear is really sin because it is not of God and not from faith in God.
Are you afraid and troubled? Believe in God and in Jesus and in the Holy Spirit. Also, let’s keep in mind that he said “I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also”. When all on this side of eternity fails (and it may), this is the best assurance we have. Jesus also revealed it to this same John the writer of the Gospel. “Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth… “Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God. 4 And 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.” Revelation 21:1-4.
There is no greater joy than to be with our God and Father, His Son and the Holy Spirit, now and forever. Amen. Put your faith God. Tell God what you are afraid of and troubled by right now. “13 And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 If you ask[c] anything in My name, I will do it”. Let’s note that this is not a blank check. God will only answer the prayers in our lives in the time and way that the result will glorify Him.
Do you have a relationship with the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit? There is only ONE WAY, JESUS, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me”.
John 14
“Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. 2 In My Father’s house are many mansions;[a] if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.[b] 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also. 4 And where I go you know, and the way you know.”
5 Thomas said to Him, “Lord, we do not know where You are going, and how can we know the way?” 6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.
7 “If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also; and from now on you know Him and have seen Him.” 8 Philip said to Him, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is sufficient for us.”
9 Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you so long, and yet you have not known Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; so how can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? 10 Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father in Me? The words that I speak to you I do not speak on My own authority; but the Father who dwells in Me does the works. 11 Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father in Me, or else believe Me for the sake of the works themselves.
12 “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father. 13 And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 If you ask[c] anything in My name, I will do it.
15 “If you love Me, keep[d] My commandments. 16 And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever— 17 the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you. 18 I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you.
19 “A little while longer and the world will see Me no more, but you will see Me. Because I live, you will live also. 20 At that day you will know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you. 21 He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him.”
22 Judas (not Iscariot) said to Him, “Lord, how is it that You will manifest Yourself to us, and not to the world?”
23 Jesus answered and said to him, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him. 24 He who does not love Me does not keep My words; and the word which you hear is not Mine but the Father’s who sent Me.
25 “These things I have spoken to you while being present with you. 26 But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you. 27 Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. 28 You have heard Me say to you, ‘I am going away and coming back to you.’ If you loved Me, you would rejoice because I said,[e] ‘I am going to the Father,’ for My Father is greater than I.
29 “And now I have told you before it comes, that when it does come to pass, you may believe. 30 I will no longer talk much with you, for the ruler of this world is coming, and he has nothing in Me. 31 But that the world may know that I love the Father, and as the Father gave Me commandment, so I do. Arise, let us go from here.
No child wants to be left alone without knowing where his parents are. Children are afraid of the dark or even the daylight when they are not sure an adult is in near sight. I witnessed this today. My son Jonathan wanted to go to the bathroom. We were in a nearby bedroom but that was not enough to assure him of our closeness. He had to ask his sister Grace to standby the door while he used the bath room. You may say it is an unusual fear but we all have been there either as a child or an adult.
Imagine being with Jesus and He announces to you that He is leaving you. The worst of it is that where He is going you cannot join Him at this time. I don’t know about you but I will be troubled. Jesus knew that and He tells the same to His disciples on His way to the Cross. “Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me” John 14:1. Why did Jesus had to add believe in God and believe also in Me? For our hearts not to be troubled, we have to put our faith in God and in Jesus who is God. In fact the trinity (the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit) is always present and in unity at all times. John 14 is a clear presentation of the Trinity by Jesus Himself.
Whenever we think that God is not present, we feel afraid. We always feel secure and not afraid in the presence of the ones who love us. That is why the Scripture says perfect love casts out fear. Our fear disintegrates in the presence of God who loves us. Jesus knew this because He is the one who made us.
Jesus would further assure His disciples of His guaranteed presence which will eliminate every fear. Listen to Jesus, 25 “These things I have spoken to you while being present with you. 26 But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you. 27 Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. Right after telling the disciples about the Holy Spirit who is God, Jesus repeats the same admonition not to be afraid and not to be troubled.
What do we deduce from this? The presence of the Holy Spirit who is “with us and in us” is God’s solution for all our fears and troubles. Apostle Paul would later recap this while encouraging his son Timothy. “6 Therefore I remind you to stir up the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands. 7 For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind”. 2 Timothy 1:6-7. When we are afraid, God’s power and love are not active in our lives. In fact our minds are not sound in fear. We all suffer some level of craziness or mental health defect because of fear.
We are afraid and troubled in those areas of lives where we think God is not present and does not know about. But it is the lie of the devil. God is ever present with us. What are you afraid of? Or what areas are you afraid and troubled about? I am right now troubled and afraid of some health issues in my family; I am troubled and afraid of some issues in my marriage; I am afraid and troubled about the development of my kids and etc. Jesus is telling me, my son don’t be troubled and not to be afraid. Lord I hear you. Help me believe in the Father and believe in you Jesus and in your Holy Spirit you have sent me from the Father. I cast all my cares, fears and troubles to your feet and receive your peace.
Someone said that there are 365 “fear not” or “do not fear” in the Bible. I have not counted myself. It does then mean that we are warned not to fear every day of the year. I believe God is serious about this issue and fear is really sin because it is not of God and not from faith in God.
Are you afraid and troubled? Believe in God and in Jesus and in the Holy Spirit. Also, let’s keep in mind that he said “I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also”. When all on this side of eternity fails (and it may), this is the best assurance we have. Jesus also revealed it to this same John the writer of the Gospel. “Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth… “Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God. 4 And 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.” Revelation 21:1-4.
There is no greater joy than to be with our God and Father, His Son and the Holy Spirit, now and forever. Amen. Put your faith God. Tell God what you are afraid of and troubled by right now. “13 And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 If you ask[c] anything in My name, I will do it”. Let’s note that this is not a blank check. God will only answer the prayers in our lives in the time and way that the result will glorify Him.
Do you have a relationship with the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit? There is only ONE WAY, JESUS, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me”.
John 14
“Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. 2 In My Father’s house are many mansions;[a] if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.[b] 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also. 4 And where I go you know, and the way you know.”
5 Thomas said to Him, “Lord, we do not know where You are going, and how can we know the way?” 6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.
7 “If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also; and from now on you know Him and have seen Him.” 8 Philip said to Him, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is sufficient for us.”
9 Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you so long, and yet you have not known Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; so how can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? 10 Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father in Me? The words that I speak to you I do not speak on My own authority; but the Father who dwells in Me does the works. 11 Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father in Me, or else believe Me for the sake of the works themselves.
12 “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father. 13 And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 If you ask[c] anything in My name, I will do it.
15 “If you love Me, keep[d] My commandments. 16 And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever— 17 the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you. 18 I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you.
19 “A little while longer and the world will see Me no more, but you will see Me. Because I live, you will live also. 20 At that day you will know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you. 21 He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him.”
22 Judas (not Iscariot) said to Him, “Lord, how is it that You will manifest Yourself to us, and not to the world?”
23 Jesus answered and said to him, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him. 24 He who does not love Me does not keep My words; and the word which you hear is not Mine but the Father’s who sent Me.
25 “These things I have spoken to you while being present with you. 26 But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you. 27 Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. 28 You have heard Me say to you, ‘I am going away and coming back to you.’ If you loved Me, you would rejoice because I said,[e] ‘I am going to the Father,’ for My Father is greater than I.
29 “And now I have told you before it comes, that when it does come to pass, you may believe. 30 I will no longer talk much with you, for the ruler of this world is coming, and he has nothing in Me. 31 But that the world may know that I love the Father, and as the Father gave Me commandment, so I do. Arise, let us go from here.
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