Take Heart

John 16:³³ “I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.”

In this world, we will have many trials and sorrows but we have an assurance of peace and victory in God. The reality is that some experiences leave us deeply scared,

sometimes emotionally, sometimes physically, and sometimes mentally. Some situations are really devastating and it would take God alone to bring healing at such times. However, the good news is that God has promised that even the pain and devastation will work out for our good. I have seen people survive such circumstances, move on with God, and excel.

How are they able to move on and even extend a hand of compassion despite what they have been through? The secret is that they have filled their lives with so much of God and His love. When you encounter them, it is almost impossible to tell that they have gone through such devastation. However, like having a very deep and painful wound that is probably infected, you can choose to let it heal through God’s power or choose to keep picking at it hoping that you will be able to do something in your own strength. It is a choice. Is healing possible after devastation? Yes! Can we love the people that have hurt us? Yes! Is it possible to become the channel through which God brings salvation to people that have harmed us? Yes, it is possible; but it is a choice to let God move you forward.

Paul suffered a lot of hardship and people said it was because of what he did to Christians. Imagine the families of the people he killed seeing him preach the same gospel he killed their loved ones for. But those people must have chosen to forgive him. If God can turn a murderer into a fervent evangelist, then God is able to heal you. We must not allow the things we go through to cause us to shut down on showing compassion to others. I am not saying deny the pain you feel. I am saying hold on to God, trust God for the healing, and find it in your heart to be merciful. Some people equate compassion with weakness. But the truth is compassion takes great strength. When you choose to be compassionate, you are reflecting the character of God. The Bible says that God is full of mercy.

Prayer: Father, I ask that You will heal everyone that needs healing from devastation and in Your mercy, their souls will find rest, in Jesus Name. Amen!