Nothing Is Too Big for God
“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 (NIV)
Jesus wants you to have a life full of peace, but he knew you’d also have some troubles and sorrows. Cheer up! That doesn’t have to steal your peace. Take heart and have courage. As children of God, we are “in Christ.” Since Jesus has defeated and overcome the world, that makes us conquerors too! Are you facing trouble right now? Trouble with a bully? Trouble with your family? You see no way out. The Israelites felt the same way when the armies of Egypt chased them and the Red Sea blocked their escape route. They cried out to their leader, Moses, saying “What have you done to us by bringing us out of Egypt?” Moses replied, “Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today . . . The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.” God parted the Red Sea. The Israelites walked through on dry ground, and the sea closed again to swallow up the Egyptian armies (Exodus 14).
Like the Israelites, if you’ve accepted Jesus as your Savior, you’re one of God’s chosen people. He’ll help you overcome your problem too—and totally defeat it. When facing a difficult situation, ask God to make a way through it for you. He will. You may have to step out and do something scary, just as the Israelites did when walking between high walls of water on each side.
Cheer up! No matter what your trouble, “in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.” (Romans 8:37 NIV)
More Devotions to Get You Thinking
Can You Pass the Test?
Each of you should test your own actions. Galatians 6:4 (TNIV)
Each person should be responsible for his or her own actions. Think about what you are doing. Do your actions show that you’re a trustworthy person? Do you have high standards and work to the best of your ability? Take time to examine your actions.
Suppose you’re having more and more trouble getting your homework done in the evenings. It shows up on your report card with a big dip in grades. “But it’s not my fault!” you tell your parents. You share a room with your teenage sister, making it too noisy in your room to study. And you don’t have Internet at home so you can’t do research for your papers. And anyway, you just don’t get geography. Even so, you know that your low grade isn’t the best you could have done. Instead of laying blame elsewhere, examine your own actions.
You hate to admit it—even to yourself—but your study habits have slipped badly. You used to tackle your homework before supper, but now you spend that time on the phone. You used to study at the quiet kitchen table, but now you study on your bed, next to your sister’s stereo and constantly ringing phone. You used to get your Internet research done in the school library, but lately during study hall you’ve passed notes and stared out the window. You have to admit it. After analyzing your own actions, you know the cause of your lower grades: your own behavior.
That’s good news! When we test and examine our actions, we can usually find areas for improvement, places where a change could make a big difference. Take some time out now and examine your life, then make those positive changes.
Trapped!
When a bird sees a trap being set, it stays away. Proverbs 1:17 (NLT)
It’s silly to set a trap right in front of a bird. It will fly away to avoid being caught. People need to learn a lesson from the birds! They often see danger, but ignore it.
You and Monica have been best friends for years, but something changes when you both start middle school. You sense that Monica isn’t telling you the truth when she says she spends the whole evening at the library. When Monica claims that her new expensive bracelet is a gift from her grandmother, your stomach churns. Yet you ignore your suspicions and pretend to believe her. Later, when you’re with Monica at the mall, the store detective grabs you both on the way out of the store. Terrified, you discover that Monica has shoplifted from the store, and because you’re together, you’re both in trouble.
Few things just “happen” to you. You nearly always receive advance warnings—comments from your friends or parents, gut instincts, and nudges from the Holy Spirit. Warnings alert you to danger. Maybe the first time you loaned your friend some money, she didn’t pay it back. Or perhaps the first time you disagreed with a person, he screamed at you or called you names. Those are warning signs. If you keep going, you’ll likely end up in trouble of some kind: losing more money or having a bully for a friend. Instead, “free yourself, like a gazelle from the hand of the hunter, like a bird from the snare of the fowler” (Proverbs 6:5 TNIV).
Don’t walk into a trap. Instead, get free!
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