Seek Jesus’ Encouragement For A Dreary Day

Word-Of-The-Day: ‘<Jesus said to His disciples,>“Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me.’ (John 14:1)

After church yesterday, we had a couple of troubling things that occurred that could be seen as ‘dreary’.  A woman who started coming to MBC recently (thanks to a friend that invited her to come) has been beset with some health issues, which thankfully has not dampened her desire to come and hear the Word.  I got called over after she was feeling a bit under the weather and upon examination by one of our medical team members on hand, she has a high blood pressure reading. 

I and several others prayed over her, and it was determined someone should drive her home.  She had driven and didn’t want to leave her car (which I can completely understand, given that the parking lots has many visitors after hours), so one of our couples volunteered to have the wife drive her home in her car, and the husband would follow to pick up his spouse.  This was agreeable and it all worked out for the benefit of all (and pray for the woman to rest and for her blood pressure to return to normal.)  Before she left with the couple, the woman thanked us for praying together for the Lord’s healing and comfort, and was expressing her appreciation that our church is so loving. 

Then we went to lunch (not surprising for Baptists to go eat after Sunday services).  There at lunch (which a bunch of us having fellowship), we had two waiters.  As is my custom, I asked the two waiters if there were anything I could pray for.  One only mentioned that he was fine and thanked me for the thought; the other did not hesitate to say, ‘Yes!’  The second man’s aunt was involved in a car accident and she broke a couple of ribs.  In the course of examination, it was found through an MRI on the ribs she had an aneurysm in or close to her heart.  He was thankful – THANKFUL – that she was in the accident as the aneurysm would not have been found if not for the accident and the broken ribs.  We prayed with him for his aunt before we left, and he was very appreciative as well.

We are not accustomed to give thanks to high blood pressure or a car accident.  It was likely a dreary day for our recent newcomer to church, and a dreary day for both the nephew and his aunt.  They could have seen their plights as something to be distraught about, and become even more agitated and distressed due to their circumstances.  Instead, they became encouraged by the love shown to them, that – while there is still one issue causing high blood pressure, and one issue involving healing of broken ribs, a wrecked car, and an aneurysm to deal with at the same time. 

Yet both became thankful of the encouragement given, through prayer.  There is encouragement through the knowledge that the Lord is now involved through the requests made in prayer.  This encouragement allowed one woman to make it home with peace of mind, and one young man to continue working in blessed assurance that the Lord was called upon for his aunt.

If we talk about dreary days, Jesus was having a dreary day when they held the Last Supper.  Judas was found as the one who betrayed Jesus; Peter had to be told he would deny his relationship with Jesus; Jesus knew He was about to be captured, tortured and crucified.  Jesus could tell His eleven Faithful disciples (and perhaps Judas as well) had an inkling something bad was about to happen, and were distraught and likely got more distraught when Judas was outed as a snitch.  It may not have been raining but this was a dreary day for Jesus and the disciples.

Despite His own distress, Jesus gives His disciples (and us) these great words of encouragement – ‘do not let your hearts be troubled’.  There are always going to be dreary days, there are always going to be days you wish you could have stayed in bed.  We always have and always will have days that are going to be days of pronounced sadness or failure.  But Jesus says, in essence, ‘forget about it, and move forward’, as He follows with, ‘believe in God, believe in Me’.  Believing in Christ comes with having the Faith He is with you, that the events of today (good or bad) are temporary, that the outlook of the future is not set (except for eternity, when with Christ we are dwelling with Him in Heaven – that’s guaranteed!).  What you are going through now will eventually end, and the future with Christ is always better.

We will always be either going into a storm, going out of a storm, or will be in the midst of a storm.  We will have great days, sunny, bright and things going our way, but we will have those times when they won’t.  But Jesus is with us, always!  Focus on Him and the future we have with Him, and you’ll realize that the troubles of today and the worries of tomorrow pale in comparison of the Joys of Eternity!