ICS Daily Devotions
Believe And Do Not Be Troubled
John 14:1. Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me.
We live in a very fast pace society. Most of us spend our time concentrating on making money after graduating from university. We spend a lot of time concentrating on developing the soul (our intellect and nurturing our emotion) and the body. The body is temporal. We may spend a significant amount of time chasing after the material things of this world but it is ultimately meaningless because it does not satisfy. It is like chasing after the wind. Many of us have neglected the spirit man that lasts for eternity. Therefore, it is always good to take a few moments to reflect upon life, including life after death.
If we do not have a proper foundation of our Christian beliefs then we feel troubled for ourselves because the Christian walk is a walk of faith in God. We will also feel troubled for our loved ones as they grow older and haven’t received Christ. Jesus was talking about a place where nobody has been and nobody knows the way with his or her own senses.
Have you ever been lost? Have you lost your way while on a journey to a certain place that you have never been? It can be frustrating, especially when you do not have a map and the GPS is not working. It makes it more frustrating when our pride hinders us from asking for directions from someone who is a local or more knowledgeable. When our pride keeps us from asking for directions then we will probably take a longer time to arrive at the destination or never arrive at all.
It makes it even more frustrating after asking for directions and people point you in the wrong direction. Worst case scenario is to have the blind leading the blind. It might be a place so remote that nobody has been to it. It is very comforting to have someone who has been to the place so he can lead us. Someone who has been to that location and graciously shows us the way until we reach the destination. Then you feel more comfortable and at ease. You would want someone who really knows how to get to the destination when you are lost and need help! If we think about it, we have to make the correct choice in life when it comes to putting our trust on someone when it has to do with our eternal life. Are you not glad that Jesus knows the way back to the Father?!
Many people will be troubled when they begin to face death in their lives. They are troubled because they do not know the way and have no confidence. Men are generally troubled by two kinds of death, namely the physical death and the spiritual death through which people are eternally separated from God. While we cannot control when we will die physically, we can choose to have eternal with God.
There are different kinds of people on this earth. They have different outlooks on death including life after death. The challenge is that we cannot afford to make the mistake because all of us only get to die once and then the judgment comes. For those who do not believe in God’s life after death there is a full stop (.). It does not mean that judgment does not exist despite of their unbelief.
For those who are religious and attempt to use good works to be accepted by God, the life after death is a question mark (?). They are troubled because they are not confident whether what they have done in this life is good enough. Honestly, nobody is good enough based on their own strength and effort to come before God because of the sin nature. All of us are aware that there will be a judgment waiting for us. People are troubled at the deathbed because they are unsure how they are going to meet God and be accepted by Him. There is no certainty in their hearts that they will be accepted by God. They know that they are spiritually bankrupt. It is not easy to attain peace and confidence in the face of death.
Sermon Series: Resurrection Sunday
