Let Not Your Heart Be Troubled

Well, again, good afternoon to each of you. Every one of you are my friends. I look to you as my friends, and I thank you for your friendship and for being able to work together with us. During the United States, the United Church of God is a difficult time. All of you, I believe, are aware of the splinters that are occurring within the framework of the United Church of God.

And, of course, unfortunately, I think that people are maybe not fully knowing what they really ought to keep their eyes on. They ought to be able to look beyond some of the difficulties and some of the issues that people, I guess, are very upset over.

But, I want us to recognize how it is that we not only can endure, but how it is that we can best manage the situation that we find ourselves in.

We really have some excellent material for guiding and directing us during times of distress, as we have right now. And I hope, certainly, what Mr. Hudson covered is correct in guiding us to our desire to follow the Good Shepherd.

And I mentioned last week, of course, Jesus Christ is the head of the Church, and he's the one that we look to, the one that we ask for help, the one that we know is able to provide the help and the direction and the guidance that we need. In spite of other problems we have, because we all have some problems, and obviously, many others have other difficulties and problems that they're laboring with at this point. But I'd like for us to look at some of the most familiar Scriptures that all of us are familiar with.

Where would those be? What could we say would be some of the most familiar Scriptures? Well, I'm referring to a section that all of us have read. All of us have probably read very intricate detail as we have prepared and gotten ready for the Passover every year. As we observe the Passover in the spring of every year, we're often encouraged to read, and of course, we may read the other gospels as well. But when you read the Gospel of John, particularly in chapter 13, 14, 15, 16, and 17, those are that whole section. That's a five-chapter section of John. That I think is really one that I should annually go over, if not more often than that. And so, I'm sure you're very familiar with that section. And yet, when it comes out, I think it's very important for us to think about today. Because, what was it that Jesus was facing at that time? What was it that He was looking into in the next two or three days? See, He was looking into the biggest crisis, the biggest distressful event, the most almost incomprehensible situation any of us could ever think of. Jesus Christ knew what He was going to enter into as He would then be betrayed, be accused and betrayed, and then ultimately crucified within just a few days following His discussion with His disciples about what's happening. And so, I think the words that He was giving them at that time are really, I think, very applicable to us as we face a difficulty regarding the church today. And as we are stabilized by the words of life, because that's really what we want to do. We want to become stabilized by God's working in us and by God's Word living in us. But, I was thinking, not only was Jesus facing the biggest trial of His life, the one that was obviously going to be a climax of His existence here in human form, but what about His disciples? They'd had it pretty easy. They'd had it up to that point. Well, all we do is follow Him around and see what He does, see where He goes, see who He interacts with, see how He interacts with them.

We have our own idea sometimes. James and John wanted to call them fire out of heaven and burn somebody up. That was not what Christ wanted to do. He said, no, that's not needed. And they have talked about it, I think, probably in, not dismay, but probably wonder.

Whenever He shows up on the water and they're out in the boat, they have watched things that no other people really had watched. And they had been with Him when they had seen Him. And again, of course, later, God was going to work some of the same miracles of healing through them.

But they had seen Him heal people with different infirmities. They had seen Him cast out demons. Whether they understood that or not, they at least knew He could do it. Or it clearly was obvious that He could do it. But what kind of trial was this going to be for them as He was taken away, as He was completely removed from the scene? And then, of course, what did He tell them? What did He tell them? I'm going to be gone. But I want to tell you what you can rely on. I want to tell you that I simply am not going to leave you as orphans. I'm going to help you. I'm going to help you and guide you. I'm going to direct you and lead you. That was what He said. I'd like for us to look in John 16, because even though the crucifixion was a very difficult time that Jesus Christ was leading up to, it was a difficult time for His disciples. Because, as you know, afterwards they all kind of wandered around wondering, what should we do? Where did He go? I guess we're going to go fishing. And, of course, later, after I think Peter went fishing and the others went, oh, we'll go fishing too, because we don't know what else to do. We're really scrambled right now. Christ came to them and showed them, well, I can rise above the grave. I can rise above death. I am the Son of God. He wanted them to know that. He wanted them to know that, because ultimately they were all going to die for that message. And so, here in John 16, I'd like for us to focus on what He told them. John 16, verse 25, He said, I can tell you the things to you and figures of speech. And yet, the hour is coming when I'm no longer going to speak in figures, but I will tell you plainly of the Father. To hear, He loved those disciples. He had been training them. He had been teaching them. He knew they didn't understand fully. I mean, He knew that. He recognized that they were limited. They were even yet to receive the Holy Spirit, which was going to come on Pentecost. And yet, He was concerned about them. He loved them. He yearned them to help them understand. And He says, the hour is coming when I no longer speak to you in figures, but I'll tell you plainly. You will ask Me. And I do not say to you that I will ask the Father on your behalf. He says, I'm not going to do everything just simply for you. You can ask of the Father in My name. See, He was cultivating in them a relationship of trust, a relationship of reliance, a relationship of dependence, a relationship of appreciation for Him, because in His name, they could ask the Father for help.

And the Father would give it. He would provide it. And He goes on to say, for the Father Himself loves you.

See, I don't know that the Israelites in the Old Testament, I'm not sure they really grasp the significance of how much God loved them.

They wandered around in the wilderness sometimes, and they ultimately were given a kingdom where David was ruling, but it often seems that David didn't have a whole lot of follow-upings sometimes. Sometimes he did, other times he didn't. And yet, understanding that the Father loves you was not a common concept.

And so that's what he was telling his called-out, his selected, his hand-selected disciples.

I want you to understand that the Father really, really loves you.

And it says, the Father loves you because. Because why?

Well, because God is love, of course.

But he goes ahead and says, the Father loves you because you have loved me.

And you have believed that I came from God.

And I came from the Father, and I have come into the world, and I'm going to leave the world and go to the Father.

So here he was telling them something extra special. He was telling them that the Father loves you because you have. And of course, he had been with them for several years. He had been nurturing them. He had been cultivating a relationship with them where, of course, they could ask him anything.

If you read what it says, he often knew what they were thinking, whether they asked it or not.

He could tell them what they were thinking.

He could tell them why you were arguing over there among yourself. He could do that.

And yet here in this case, it says, because you loved me and because you believe that I am the Son of God, because you believe that I am the Savior of the world. That was what he was telling them. Because of our faith and belief in Jesus Christ. And brethren, I have to say this to all of us. Each one of us have the ability to cultivate an extraordinary relationship and a communication with God the Father because of Jesus Christ. Because of our faith, our belief, perhaps initially, but then our faith in Jesus Christ. And as I mentioned, Christ is the head of the church. So we never want to take our eyes off of that good shepherd, off of that head.

But he goes on to verse 29, the disciples said, well, now you're talking plainly. Now we know that you know all things and do not need to have anyone question you. We believe that you came from God. And Jesus said, well, do you really believe? Do you really believe in the relationship that God can create with His called out people with the Son of God? Do you believe that the hour is coming? Indeed, it has come when you're going to be scattered. To hear He was telling them, you know, a crisis is coming. It's almost here. It's going to be in the next little while. Time has come when you'll be scattered, each one to his home, and you will leave me alone. And so here He's going to reveal to them something that it appears, you know, they understood only in a limited way. But it was clearly something that Jesus understood unequivocally. He says, you're going to be scattered. You're not going to know exactly what to do. But He says, each of you will leave me alone. I'm going to be deserted by you. But He goes ahead to say, even though you might desert me, I am not alone. I am not alone because the Father is with me. So here we find a unique relationship between God the Father and Jesus Christ our Lord. And see, what it describes is a unity. It describes an agreement. It describes a cooperation. It describes the type of unity that the family of God has. Jesus realized that, well, even the people, even though the people are going to be scattered, and I'm going to have to work with them to gather them again, what I want them to understand is the unity that I have between the Father and the Son. And He said, I can give this to you so that in me, in Jesus Christ, you may have peace. In the world you face persecution, but a courage I've overcome the world. See, He clearly knew that He was going to be able to handle the situation. He was trying to tell them how many people the situation is by believing in Me and by recognizing that in Me peace is available. You can have peace. You can have calm. You can have a sense of security and a sense of confidence, because we are cultivating. See, we have been, we have been, we are, we will continue to cultivate our relationship with God and with Jesus Christ through all the difficulties that we go through, whatever they are.

And so, I think it's exciting to see that our personal peace, individually, individually, our personal peace is going to come from our belief in Jesus Christ and our unity. With the Father and the Son and with each of us individually is what we are wanting. We are wanting to grow in that, brethren. We are wanting to, and I think God is helping us, be able to grow in that strength of relationship. Now, even though things are distressing, yes. But our ability to draw close to God is not distressed. It is clearly. The answer actually helps us. He says, in Me, you can have peace. Let's back to chapter 14. See, our peace with God comes through the union that we have individually with Jesus Christ. And so, I think it's encouraging me to see that I need to be developing a closer relationship, a closer walk with Jesus Christ, my Lord. That's what I want to do. That's what I want to encourage you to do as well. It's interesting because here in chapter 14, and again, I know all of you have read all these chapters many times. I've read them all recently. I see three sermons in them. I'm giving one of them today. I don't know that I'll give them sequentially, but I do see a great deal of information that Jesus gave to calm every storm and to cause us to individually have peace. Here in John 14, what's the first sentence say? John 14 says, Do not let your heart be troubled. Now why was Jesus telling the disciples that then at that particular point? Well, He knew what was going to happen. He knew what they were going to face. He knew the trauma they were going to go through here in just a little while. But He gave them security. He gave them the essence of what to do and how to be at peace. So He says this, Do not let your heart be troubled. Do not let your heart be troubled. You believe in God. Believe also in Me.

Here, again, I've pointed out that you have been a worshiper of God. Maybe some of us were before we ever became a part of the Church. I think in many cases, as I think back, I grew up in a home where God was talked about and mentioned.

I mean, we went to church. At least it was a different background or setting than what you find pretty much today, where there are so many distractions and so many people who have maybe very little religious training. I grew up in a house where, at least, we did ask a prayer over our meal or we went to a church service during the week.

Now, maybe that could be described as being a worshiper of God, at least in some form.

But I quickly did not know Jesus Christ. I did not understand Him. I didn't understand what He had to offer. I didn't understand the plan of God. I didn't understand much. Actually, when you see in the book of Acts, you see people like Lydia. And then there are several others. I didn't write them all down. But there were several who were mentioned there who were people who were going to be brought into the church. They were going to be brought into a relationship with God that was going to be cultivated through Jesus Christ, through their belief and acceptance of Jesus Christ as their Lord. And so, the way it describes them in the book of Acts, particularly Lydia in Acts 16, that she was a worshiper of God.

She must have some kind of an idea that there's someone above that is taking care of me, or over me, or whatever. Maybe I don't understand it, but at least I realize that that's the case.

And yet, what He tells us is that since you believe in God, believe also in Me.

And then He goes on to say, in my Father's house there are many mansions or dwelling places. If it were not something I would have told you, I go to prepare a place for you, and if I go to prepare a place for you, I will come again and take you to Myself, so that where I am there you may be also. So here He comes back to them, that I've got to go away. He wanted them to realize that.

But I'm going to come back. I'm going to return. And of course, we think of this in a couple of ways. Yes, He did return. He did display Himself to them after He died, after He was resurrected. But of course, we also know He's prepared the Kingdom, and He is preparing us to be a part of that Kingdom.

And He wants us to very much identify with the King of the Kingdom, Jesus Christ.

He wants us to have a warm, intimate relationship and communication with Him now, and into the world tomorrow.

But here we find, He says, I'm going to come back.

And He goes on to describe something here that actually, in many ways, I think helps us in realizing that God is wanting us to pull together. He is wanting us to be united. Here He's already revealed, as we read, that Jesus and His Father are united. They are together. They are in cooperation.

And of course, we want to seek that same unity, that same cooperation, that same agreement. We want to be pulling in the same direction and actually serving for the good of all. That's what we want to do. And here He says how to do it. Here He says, What's really important is cultivating a close relationship with Jesus Christ.

He goes on to say, Well, Thomas is Lord. We don't even know where you're going. We don't even know how to get there. We have no clue what you're talking about.

That was what Thomas revealed to him. Surely, Jesus knew that. He knew what Thomas was thinking. He knew how it was that, you know, I'm not really sure about what to do.

And so he answered him in verse 6. A verse that, again, you probably are very familiar with. Where he says, I am the way. I am the truth. I am the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

Brethren, all of us owe everything to Jesus Christ. All of us, if we are forgiven of our sins, you know, that's the cause of Jesus Christ. It's because we repent, yes, tells us to repent. But the forgiveness and the mercy that He extends to us comes from Jesus Christ. It comes through Him. And here, of course, it says, No one comes to the Father except through me.

You know, I think most of us realized whenever we were contemplating baptism that we were counting the cost. I know the type of counseling we probably, most all of us, went through in some way or another. We were counting the cost, the seriousness of that relationship. And yet we understand that John 6 44 said that the Father has drawn us to Jesus Christ. And then through Jesus Christ, through our relationship with Him, through His power, through His mercy, then we have access to the Father and we can ask for help. We can ask for encouragement. We can ask to be lifted up, even in stressful and difficult times. Even as we find ourselves in a frail, physical form, which we all have, and we all find, learn more and more as we age, that that is the case. We are not as capable physically or capable physically as we were. I happen to notice that.

Thirty years ago, I had a little more strength. But it's okay, because that doesn't matter, because I'm not the one I want to rely on. I want to rely on the power of God. But here, it points out that I'm the way, I want you to remember that.

I want you to have a personal union with me, and see, I can't really do that for you. And you can't do that for me. Every individual has got to cultivate that union themselves. He goes on to see in verse 7, if you know me, you will know my Father.

Why was he wanting to say that? He's talking about the unity in the family of God. He says, if you know me, then you know my Father, because we represent the same things. We represent the same qualities. We represent the same love. We represent the type of a relationship, a loving relationship, that you need and that you want, and that you can have through me. Philip says, well, show us the Father, and we'll be satisfied. And Jesus says, well, have you been with me all this time, Philip? And you still don't even know me? Because whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, show us the Father? Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me?

You know, brethren, those can just be words. Those can just be something we read. And of course, if you read this section in John, these chapters that I mentioned, if you read that, that concept is repeated over and over and over again. Because he wants us to cultivate a close relationship with God and Jesus Christ, our Lord. He wants that. He yearns to see that in us. And perhaps that's what he's encouraging us to do even now. But that's what we find here. He goes on... Verse 10, do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father in me? The words that I say to you, I don't speak of my own, those are the words of the Father.

What he happens to say came from God. And to the Father who dwells in me does the works that I do. What I do, the Father is directly involved. Can we understand that concept? Can we appreciate that closeness, that union, that unity?

I think it's wonderful to see what Jesus was pointing out to his disciples. Even today, as I know, we can be saddened. And we are saddened over some decisions that some people may make.

But I don't want that to hurt you, brethren. I want you to cultivate, as I wish to, a close and intimate relationship with God the Father and Jesus Christ.

He goes on to say in verse 11, believe me. Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me.

And believe me, because of the works, truly, I tell you, the one who believes in me is the one who will do the works that I do, and in fact, will do greater works than these.

Now, how would we ever think we would do greater work than what Jesus did?

He healed people. He reached out to those who needed to be corrected. He did all kinds of things. He was able to restore people.

He was able to assist people and give them life and give them help.

Well, he says, you're going to do greater works.

And see, if we believe that, if we believe that God is capable to do greater works through us and through us as a united church, if we believe that God is capable of doing that, and see, that's what my heart yearns to do.

That's what I believe all of us want to do.

And whether it's through any telecasting we can do or trying to do, whether it's through literature, whether it's through even any access through us, as far as reaching out to people, whatever God may be able to do, that's a greater work than Jesus said that he was doing. How many people did Jesus convert?

Well, he says he wasn't really here trying to do that.

He says he called some disciples and said, I'll empower you to do that work of working with people who come into a relationship with God and who will be in the family of God.

He said that's a greater work, and that's the work that we've been called to do.

So he said, truly greater works than deeds, because I'm going to the Father.

I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son.

If in my name you ask me anything, I will do it.

Verse 14 has always been a little bit puzzling to me.

If in my name you ask me for anything, I will do it.

If you ask anything in my name, I will do it, I think is what the New King James says.

And of course, sometimes God thought I asked for whatever I need, food, shelter, clothing, usually physical things that I'm thinking of.

And then, somehow God has provided that.

Probably not what I necessarily wanted, but nonetheless what I needed.

Then that's a way that that statement could be understood.

If in my name you ask for anything, I will do it.

I think he's really pointing out more that if we ask for help, if we ask for guidance, if we ask for the peace, if we ask for unity, if we ask for the calm that he is clearly able to give, then he will provide that stability. He will provide. He says, In me, this is what we read in John 16, in me you shall have peace.

And so I hope that that can be exciting to us.

I feel it's exciting to me as I think about that, as I understand it better, as I ask God to help me.

And of course, he just says, Ask in the name of Jesus, and he will provide a calm. He will provide a peace.

He will give guidance. And so those are not much, maybe, physical things, but those are spiritual concepts.

He goes on from 15 to follow up with something all of us are familiar with. If you love me, then keep my commandments, which clearly we all want to do. All of us desire to keep the commandments of God. We strive to do that because we want to honor God.

We want to please God. We want to not sin. So he says, If you love me, keep my commandments, and I'll ask for the Father, and He will give you another advocate to be with you forever.

And so here he was telling disciples that if you have yet to receive the Holy Spirit, I'm going to give you a power that will enable you to understand the unity of God, to understand the agreement and unity that comes from Jesus and the Father, the one and the other together united in full agreement of what they're doing.

He says, This is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive because it neither sees Him nor knows Him, but you know Him because He abides with you and He will be in you.

See, the Spirit of truth, the Spirit of God, as we usually refer to it, God's Spirit, the Holy Spirit, that Spirit clearly was around Jesus Christ at all times.

He always exemplified everything that the Spirit of God was able to achieve and do, and of course, He said, That power can be extended to you.

And that was going to be as we come to the Day of Pentecost.

But He said, I want you to realize that that Spirit is coming, and I'm not going to leave you as orphans.

He says, I'm going to come to you in that way. I'm going to come to you through the Holy Spirit.

I'm going to empower you through the Holy Spirit. In a little while, He says in verse 19, in a little while, the world will no longer see Me.

But you will see Me, because I live, you also will live.

So that's what He wanted them to realize, that you're physical, you're here on this earth, you need My power, you need the Holy Spirit, you need the power of God, you need a union with the Father and with the Son.

You need that through the power of the Holy Spirit.

And so He points out how the Holy Spirit is going to be creating a wonderful situation. He says, I will not leave you orphaned, I will come to you.

And of course, He goes on to say, on that day, you will know, verse 20, that I am in My Father, and you are in Me, and I am in you. Again, I mean, I said this statement is referred to over and over and over and over again.

And I don't know that it, you know, why is it that Christ repeats that so many times? Why is it that that's such a central part of what He wanted His disciples to know?

Well, I think it's because He wants us to realize that as we do our work in the church, as we preach the Gospel, as we encourage one another in the Lord, as we ask His blessing on the work that the church can do, well then, as that is done, then we're going to have that same type of unity. We're going to have that same type of togetherness.

So He goes on in verse 22, Judas asks Him, Lord, how is it that You're going to reveal Yourself to us and not to the world? And He said, well, those who love Me will keep My word. And again, that's what we are all wanting to do, to keep the word of God. And My Father will love them, and we will come to them.

And what? And what?

Those who love Me will keep My word, and My Father will love them, and we will come to them, and we will make our home with them.

See, that's something I want. I want God to be residing with Me. I want God to be directing and guiding Me. But I want to be yielding to God. I want to be in submission to God. I want to be together with God and in agreement with God. So thank Him. He says that the Holy Spirit will enable us to have a unity with God, the Father, and with Jesus Christ. He says, we will come to them and make our home with them. And whoever does not love Me does not keep My words. And the word that You hear is not Mine, but it is the Father's who sent Me.

He continues to reiterate. I mean, I know we can read this whole section, and we can kind of understand the ideas that are expressed. But for some reason, He repeats it and goes over it and covers it over and over in order to help us, perhaps. See how it is that we can have a security and a confidence.

Mr. Hudson talked about this in our sermonette, trusting in the Good Shepherd. Trusting in the One who is able to strengthen us spiritually, the One who is able to empower us through the Holy Spirit, the One who causes us to have the mind like God, like Jesus Christ. And we're familiar with verses that mention that as well. He says in verse 25, I've said these things to you while I'm still here with you. And so He knew He was helping them know what was going to happen.

And when that happened, you need to remember what it is that I said, because I said, I won't leave you alone. I will send the Holy Spirit. That union with the Father and Me is yours as you were appreciated, as you follow. I have said these things while I'm here, but the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, and the Father will send in My name. We'll teach you everything and remind you of all that I have said to you.

He says, peace. We mentioned this and read this a little bit earlier in the 16th chapter. He said, in Me you shall have peace. Here He says, peace. I leave with you. My peace I give to you, and I don't give to you as the world does. See, the world is often giving in order to get, giving with some ulterior motive, with some hidden agenda, with some political connection or backside to it. That's the way the world gives, usually, at least as I study politics a little, or as you just happen to watch television, you see a whole lot of stuff that certainly doesn't look like it has anything to do with what God is wanting.

And yet, what Jesus said is the peace that I have, see, even though He was facing the ultimate death here in just a few days, the peace that I have because I have a unity with the Father, the peace that I have I leave with you. My peace I give to you. And so He says, again, He started off with this in the first part of the chapter, He says, because I'm telling you and showing you what I have to give and how important it is to you, do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid.

Here He reminded them again that even though you go through stressful times, God is there with us. God is there helping us. He is there lifting us up. And so He doesn't want us to be troubled, He doesn't want us to be afraid. And I want to go to Psalm 23 in connection with this. Mr. Hudson read part of this a little bit earlier, but, you know, that chapter points us to the Good Shepherd. Of course, it's written from the standpoint of a sheep. A sheep who knows they need help, who knows that they want to, they appreciate the fact that the Good Shepherd is watching over them and that they have a relationship with that shepherd that is, you know, just...

It's very real. Very simple to them because the Holy Spirit is lifting it up, empowering it. And of course, it says in Psalm 23 that He restores my soul. So if we need to be restored, then we can see where the source is, where we can go for that restoration. It says in Psalm 23, I think, in about verse 2, that He restores my soul. And He makes me to walk in the path of righteousness. See, that's how Jesus guided us. That's how we are guided to be in the path of righteousness.

And of course, we'll leave it again in verse 4. He says, Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I shall fear no evil because you are with me. See, that's what we want to remember. And of course, that statement, Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I know sometimes we might think of that as, well, is that close to when we die?

Maybe it is. I don't think it totally is because it sounds like you're walking through. You're walking through it. You're coming out on the other side. You're in some of the descriptions that you find of that in commentaries. You're going through a deep valley, a dark valley. You can't quite see where you're going, but the shepherd is still leading you, and you're going to come out on the other side.

You are going to be restored. But it says, Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I shall fear no evil. I don't have to be afraid.

I don't have to be troubled in heart, even though I may be sad because of what I'm seeing with friends or others. But we don't have to be troubled over that because God is working with us. He is helping us. He is restoring us. He is lifting us up.

He says, so don't be afraid, or you shall not fear any evil. Why? Well, because I'm with you, and I know that He is with me, and I know that He is helping me, and you have to know that too. You have to know that that is an intimate, warm relationship that you have been cultivating throughout your life, up to this time, and maybe, I hope, even more so now. Because that's what we all need. That's what we all want. And so I hope that in reading through some of this, and like I said, there's a considerable amount more here that we're not going to cover now, but we may cover later. I hope that that can be uplifting.

I hope that can be exciting. Because we have access to God and to Jesus Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit. We've been granted that knowledge. We've been granted that spiritual connection with the power of the universe. And so we don't want to not understand just how powerful that is.

I'd like to close here with just one verse in 1 Peter. Because, anyways, I think it's a very hopeful verse. It's a very uplifting verse. It's one that kind of spurs us forward. It helps us in realizing that what we have, help them out.

We have power from God. We can be lifted up and empowered by His help throughout any strain that we go through.

Of course, in verse 6, He says, And yet in verse 7, He says, 1 Peter 5, from the flipping of pages, I probably said something wrong.

1 Peter 5, verse 6 and 7, humble yourselves before God. Verse 7, cast all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you.

It says, He is completely trustworthy. And each of us should be very thankful for that. And so He says, He replies, that there's a lot of suffering that brethren go through. And yet, after you have suffered a while, after you have suffered a while, God, who greats, who has called you to His eternal glory in Jesus Christ.

See, after we may endure and suffer a while, I guess He says a little while, at least in the translation I'm reading, after we have suffered a little while, it says, See, that's what He says He will do. He says He will provide us the stability and the encouragement that we so much need, that we want. He says He will establish and strengthen and settle us. And of course He'll do that as we look to Him, as we are asking Him for the intimate relationship that He wants us to have, He wants us to cultivate. So, I encourage you brethren to let not your heart be troubled, but clearly, look to the One who is able to lift us up, the One who is able to restore, the One who is able to empower us to go forward. And as we do so, I know that He is going to be pleased with our growth, and perhaps He is going to do greater works than we could ever imagine.