Have Peace. Take Heart. Don’t Be Troubled Or Afraid Series

We continue in our series on discovering our destiny and on this Healing and Wholeness Sunday we are going to consider how we can “Take heart in trials and sorrows”.

If we could live in a world where there is no trouble, no difficulties, no conflicts, no difficult circumstances, no worrying situations, no illness, no pain, then maybe we never experience trials and sorrows.

But we live in a fallen, broken and sin sick world and often it seems like as soon as we get through something, something else comes along.

Problems happen, bad stuff seems to invade our lives, and at times we struggle to find peace don’t we?

Yet listen to the words of Jesus in John 16:33, 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)

Jesus said in John 14:27: “I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid.”

“Have peace. Take heart. Don’t be troubled or afraid”, are those words of Jesus, words you need to hear this morning?

Do you need peace of heart and peace of mind this morning?

Do you need to experience the peace that only Jesus can bring into your life?

Do you need to experience His healing touch on your life today?

Friend, whatever circumstance you are facing right now, I would suggest you need to experience His peace so that your heart is not troubled or afraid.

When the Apostle Paul wrote to the Philippian church he told them that God’s peace “exceeds anything we can understand” – it is a peace that doesn’t make sense to the world.

But there is a condition to this peace Philippians 4:6-7 says: Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank Him for all He has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.

We can experience real peace in our hearts and minds when we trust God.

When we pray, when we commit our circumstances and situations to God, when we thank Him for what He has done, is doing, will do, then we will experience perfect peace.

This morning, is your heart and mind troubled by your problem, by your situation, or are your thoughts fixed on the Lord?

Our trust is not in be in our own abilities, or in other people, or in the opinions or philosophies of the world, our trust must be in God alone.

King David said in Psalm 62

2 God alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress where I will never be shaken.

5 Let all that I am wait quietly before God, for my hope is in Him.

7 He is my refuge, a rock where no enemy can reach me.

8 O my people, trust in Him at all times. Pour out your heart to him, for God is our refuge.

Perfect peace comes when our thoughts, our trust is in the God, our Eternal Rock, our fortress, our saviour and our redeemer.

We can experience perfect peace in our hearts and minds when we need to fix our thoughts on Jesus.

God has blessed each of us with the ability to think.

We can let our thoughts lead us into a place of despair or we can choose to let our thoughts lead us to the place of refuge, the place of salvation, the place of perfect peace.

God knows what we think about, God knows what troubles our minds, God knows what can take us away from His place of perfect peace.

We need to remember that Jesus is our Saviour, Jesus is our Healer, Jesus is the Baptiser in the Holy Spirit and Jesus is the Coming King.

We need to lift up our eyes, our hearts, our thoughts to the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords.

We need to trust in His perfect will, His perfect plan, His perfect purpose, and then we will experience His perfect peace.

Let me ask you a few questions, I don’t want you to shout out any answers, just be honest in your mind, with God and yourself as you answer them.

On your way to church today, what was on your mind? What occupied your thoughts?

Were your thoughts on your troubles, trials, circumstances and situations?

Were you thinking about how God can just speak a word and everything will change?

Right now are your thoughts fixed on the problem or on the God who is bigger than all of our problems?

Friend, God knows you, God loves you, God is fully aware of your situation, God wants you to trust Him.