Do Not Be Afraid

"Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid." John 14:27

This verse can be such a comfort. How many things do we let trouble our hearts. There are so many... We trouble our hearts with what we're going to do next week, and we trouble our hearts with the safety of our families. For me right now, my heart gets troubled when I think about the fact that Andy only has a few more weeks of work left... the one job option he wanted fell through, so he's back to the drawing board, actively searching, but also waiting for that prompting from God as to the direction he should take. My heart gets troubled when I think about not having that paycheck.

But then I read this verse. These are words from Jesus- and he freely gives me peace. And what I love best, is that it's not false peace or temporary peace. He goes on to say he gives nor as the world gives. The world gives us false peace. We have a sense of security...until next week. Or we are content until the next great thing comes along. But not with Jesus. With Jesus, we have eternal peace, peace for as long as we need it. I can give him my troubled heart and ask for his peace, and he will give it, and I will have it for as long as I need it. I do try really hard to keep myself believing that we will be taken care of. But then somehow the enemy creeps in and plants that doubt, and I need to be reminded that I am a child of God, and my family is under his protection. All will be well. Not only will the Lord provide, but I just know that when he does, he's going to bless us abundantly. We will have provisions to share with those around us.

Sometimes it's just hard waiting, though. And being patient.

Today though, I am incredibly thankful for my health. I was out for almost a whole week, and I spent a lot of time thinking and praying, and I am beyond grateful that the illness, for the most part, seems to be moving on. Not only does God provide the material needs, he provides the health needs.