A Heart Untroubled

My life right now is in the middle of a major change.  We're packing up our life overseas and returning back to our home country.   We knew change was coming, but we hadn't quite figured out what that looked like. And then there it was, and my husband and I felt peace that it was time to go home. So my house is in that crazy state when you've sold furniture and given away things.  On one hand it looks empty and a little sad, but then in other spaces there are boxes of our prized and necessary possessions, ready to ship back.  It's cluttered and I hate it! In the natural, I want my home to be a 'safe' place, with things where they should be; everything in order.  I want my life to follow a nice and easy path in the same way, and for it to change as little as possible (Right???!!!) In the Spiritual, I have learned that's not the way things tend to be!   Change is almost daily.  Not only do things around us change, but as we learn and grow in the Lord,

Add caption Last week, I was speaking on my favourite verse (John 14:1), and I wanted to follow on from that thought.    In Chapters 14 and 15 it's like Jesus is giving a list of last minute instructions to the disciples.  He went on in John 16:1 to say that he told the disciples 'these things' so they might not be offended!! That word 'offended' comes from the Greek word " scandalizo ".  It means to entrap, trip up or stumble. Offence is a real problem in the world today, but this problem has become an issue in Christian circles too. Jesus warned us that offences would come (Matthew 18:7), but when we let offence into our hearts, we set ourselves our trap. When someone offends us, we have a choice.   The trap is, that if we let the offence take root in our hearts, it entraps us in a cycle that will certainly produce fruit in our lives; sadly, the crop will harvest only bitterness, frustration, anger and a critical spirit.  Offence becomes a

Someone asked me today "What's your favourite verse in the bible?".  That's an easy question; it's John 14:1, which says " Let not your heart be troubled ".   I have loved this verse for many years now.    It's a great verse, but living out of that place isn't always easy.   I am sure Jesus knew that when he told his disciples.  He was just a few chapters away from being hauled off for his  crucifixion. He knew they would face plenty of emotions and trials in the coming days.   'Troubled' here refers to being agitated, stirred up.  It speaks of having inward commotion; of losing your mental calmness.   Of being disquieted or restless, to of something that brings fear and dread or makes us anxious or distressed ( Strong's G5015 ) It's easy to see how, when things don't go our way, someone comes against us unfairly or the general messiness of life comes our direction, our peace could be distinctly absent, but that's wh