(The following is the April 26 devotional from my Next Step Devotions book. Before reading it, I suggest you read John 16 and pay close attention to verses 25-33.)
Jesus warned his disciples about difficult days ahead. In John 15-16, he warned that the world would hate believers just as it hated him. He talked about the sorrow disciples would face but assured them their sorrow would turn to joy. Why did Jesus tell them these things? “So that in me you may have peace. You will have suffering in this world. Be courageous! I have conquered the world” (v. 33).
People do not have the eternal perspective of Christ. We tend to focus on current problems and fears, losing sight of God’s glorious plan for what is ahead through Christ’s finished work. This limited perspective is not what Jesus wants for us. Even though this world includes sorrow, Jesus wants his followers to know peace.
This peace comes not from the absence of difficulties or conflict but through Christ’s presence and remembering his victories. There is nothing we face that our Lord hasn’t already conquered. Persecution? No one endured more than Jesus. Injustice? Our Lord was perfect yet treated like a criminal. Rejection? Some disciples turned away from Christ forever, and even his closest followers failed him. Temptation? Satan tempted Jesus to abandon the Father’s will, but Jesus confronted the father of lies with the truth of God’s Word and refused to yield to temptation.
Remembering Jesus’ victory over temptation, sin, and death should help us experience the peace he calls us to have. We can be courageous because we already know the outcome of his and our battle against sin and evil. Christ has conquered the world; we share in his victory because we belong to him. “No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us” (Rom. 8:37).
Next Step:
When are you most at peace and courageous in your faith? When do you lack God’s peace and courage to trust, represent, and serve him well? What will it take to overcome times of possible failure?
