Scripture to reflect upon: John 16:33
“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
Don’t you hate when that noisy Emergency Broadcast System warning buzzer startles you during one of your favorite TV shows?
BZZZZZ! “This is a test. For the next sixty seconds, this station will conduct a test of the Emergency Broadcast System. This is only a test.” Bzzzzzzz. Bzzz. Bzzz. “If this had been an actual emergency, you would have been instructed to tune to one of the broadcast stations in your area.”
Wouldn’t it be great if God sent us those messages? BZZZZZ! BZZZZ!! “Tristine, this is a test. For the next three months I will be conducting a test of the Godly Lifestyle Awareness System. This is only a test.” Wouldn’t that make life easier if we just knew in advance when “this is a test”?
The EBS message and signal allows us to get prepared. And if it were an actual emergency, we would be “instructed” on what to do. Wouldn’t that be great if we had something like that in our everyday life?
Good news: We do! Read the scripture again.
Thanks God for the heads up! But how many of us—ME--aren’t listening? How many of us hear the Bzzzz of the warning and automatically assume, “THIS IS AN EMERGENCY!” and go into panic mode? (I’m raising my hand.)
I get all caught up in the test and seem to forget that just because I’m a Christian, life isn’t sunshine and roses, lollipops and puppy dogs everyday. I don’t know why I think that. I don’t know what ever led me to believe that lie. We all do it, and some of us even end up blaming GOD for it. But He clearly said: YOU. Will. Have. Trouble. YOU!
HEY YOU! NOTE TO SELF: You will have trouble. Get on with it and take heart, because guess what? Jesus overcame the world!! That means the trouble you have here doesn’t matter in the end. Jesus already overcame everything for you. This is the Good News we hear about all the time.
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