Take Heart…

“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.”    ~John 16:33 (NLT)

I recently read this verse during my personal time with the Lord, and I underlined it. Then I heard this verse used in a sermon. I thought “Hey I just read that verse”. Then later I read this verse in a passage in a book. “Wow, there it is again.” But that time as I was reading the book, I also had my iPod on and the song that I was listening too quoted this verse at the same time that I was reading it in the book! By this time I was like, “Umm I think I need to pay attention to this verse cause clearly Im not supposed to just breeze over it.” This all happened in a matter of 2 days.

On a side note, I feel like a lot of times in my life I miss connections like this, when the Lord could be trying to teach me something or tell me something but I miss out because I’m not in tune with what is happening around me. The Lord gives us these little echoes and he could be saying something over and over again to us but if we aren’t careful we’ll miss a great opportunity to learn and grow.

Anyways back to the verse. This verse is incredible. It offers us so much insight in the Christian walk and sets up how we should live. “…you will have many trials and sorrows.” We see here that trials and sorrows are a guarantee. The Message version says that “in this godless world you will continue to experience difficulties.” We need to wraps our minds around the fact that just because we are Christians that nothing bad will ever happen to us. Matthew Henry’s Commentary adds:

In the midst of the tribulations of this world it is the duty and interest of Christ’s disciples to be of good cheer, to keep up their delight in God whatever is pressing, and their hope in God whatever is threatening; as sorrowful indeed, in compliance with the temper of the climate, and yet always rejoicing, always cheerful (2 Co. 6:10), even in tribulation, Rom. 5:3.4.

“But take heart, because I have overcome the world.” Amen! This has given me great comfort recently. It helps me know that even with pain and personal failure, I’ve already won through Christ. Christ has overcome the world. Matthew Henry also adds this:

“Christ having overcome the world, believers have nothing to do but to pursue their victory, and divide the spoil; and this we do by faith.”

We have nothing to do but pursue victory! Christ has overcome the world. The same power that is in Christ lives in you as well. Go pursue your victory!