Encouragement

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Crushed, but not Consumed
"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."—John 16:33

Jesus never promised us that life would be a breeze. He never promised us that once we have faced a certain number of challenges, we would be problem-free for awhile. He said that in this world we would have trouble. He also told us that the world will hate us because of Him. He said that the last days will be evil.

This can be a very frightening thought. It’s easy to feel hopeless and spiritually crushed when we know that there are very real trials that have the ability to crush us. Even if the circumstances of the world crush us, we can have peace to know that we are not consumed. For those of us who belong to Christ Jesus, we know that our eternal hope lies in our faith that the world beyond this one will be completely free from pain and injustice.

We live in a world where peace is in scarce supply. Every day we are bombarded by images, reports and even experiences that remind us how truly depraved people can be when evil is left to run rampant. As discouraging as this is, I find great comfort in knowing that no matter what happens, the enemy is unable to leave a lasting mark on me because I have already been marked by God with the promise of the Holy Spirit.

The enemy will fight at every opportunity to crush us. Because of God’s great love for us, we know that we will never be completely consumed, so long as we remain in Him. He will never leave us or forsake us. He gives us the promise of eternal peace that is not of this world. Were it not for that peace, I would have given up long ago.

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