Devotional Message

Prior to his crucifixion, Jesus offered this final dose of encouragement to the disciples to carry in their hearts during the events about to unfold. The honesty in His words acknowledged that trouble, tribulation, and pain are inevitable in this world—they are part of our human experience, something we cannot escape, uniting us all as one, knowing we all go through it in some capacity. But what He clarifies is that peace is found ‘in Him,’ not in our circumstances. Because even when we finally attain the things we want, we often still feel empty, proving it was never about the job, money, relationship, or success, but about experiencing true peace. The moment we anchor our peace in Him rather than anything outside us, the more we can live in this state even during moments of challenge.

Jesus also commands us to ‘take heart’ during these troubles, making it an active choice to seek courage and find gratitude for where God has placed us. This invites us to be both realistic and hopeful throughout our human experience—that suffering with hope is the ultimate victory. That is what being at peace truly means. When we connect our present troubles to Christ’s completed triumph, if He can overcome the world through the resurrection, then we too can overcome whatever we are struggling with—not because our troubles disappear, but because His victory transforms how we experience them.

Let’s Pray

Dear God, today I come to you seeking peace that can only be found in you. Due to the recent troubles in my life, I have struggled to find hope within this suffering. But now I acknowledge the reality that in this world I will have trouble, yet I choose to take heart because Christ has overcome the world.

Help me to find my peace in Him rather than in changing circumstances. Strengthen my faith to see that just as Jesus overcame through the cross and resurrection, His victory transforms my experience of these troubles. Thank you for the promise that trouble doesn’t have the final say in my story, and that in Christ, I can experience peace amid the storm. Amen.

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