FEBRUARY

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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-

This painting is dedicated to my lifelong sister, dearest friend, and beloved cousin, Dawn. 

We've been buddies all of our lives and I am so thankful for her.  John 16:33 is her favorite bible verse.  Her words sum up this verse in a beautiful way, so with her permission I'm sharing them with you.  This is what she says:

I have many "favorite" verses and passages, but John 16:33 seems to have become my personal anthem. Three short sentences spoken from the mouth of Jesus have been a balm to my soul in many seasons of life. I hear them in my head, like a beautifully broken record, "take heart... take heart... take heart." As I've grown in years and (hopefully) maturity, I've found this verse is key to daily peace in a world moving at breakneck speed.
It's Jesus. It's always been and will always be Jesus. He is where true peace is found. In the "many trials and sorrows," Jesus is the lifeline.
But "take heart"!
For He has overcome...
Your fears
Your mistakes
Your chaos
Your grief
Your pain

"Take heart, because I have overcome the world." Because of Jesus, we can all find rest in His peace knowing that He has overcome this weary world. "I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on this earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world."
John 16:33

When my cousin first shared the verse with me as a possible verse to include in the calendar, I knew exactly what I was going to paint to go with it.  The earth covered in flowers.  Most flowers first begin their growth in the dark of the soil.  It isn't until that little plant breaks through the seed shell and pushes upwards through the dark soil that it finds light.  

"In this world you will have trouble..." Unfortunately, we live in a broken world.  We live among sin and therefore we have trouble.  Those are Jesus words, "In this world you will have trouble..." which means it is truth.  It is a fact.  There is no getting around it.

YET, praise God He did not leave it there.  "...take heart, because I have overcome the world."  Not only does Jesus instruct us to take heart, but He tells us why we can.  He has overcome.  Whatever the darkness, pain, sorrow, trouble- He is greater.  This song speaks into that, so I encourage you to take a few minutes and listen to the words.



I confess that this post is so much easier to type than for me to believe in my current season.  I question it sometimes and wonder if He really is greater than the darkness.  But praise God He is greater than even our doubts.  We just have to take it to Him and like the man in Mark 9:24 cry out, "I do believe! Help my unbelief!"

Comments

  1. AnonymousFebruary 1, 2023 at 9:46 AM

    Praise God for the people He perfectly places in our lives to encourage and lift us up when we struggle.

    ReplyDelete
  2. AnonymousFebruary 4, 2023 at 9:54 AM

    In reading your February devotional, I find tears streaming down my face as I am reminded that God is our strength and healer from this world of trouble and darkness. We must take heart as He overcomes this world.
    I’m thankful to have been blessed with these two sisters in my life.

    ReplyDelete

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