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.” [NIV]
Since we returned home from our spectacular trip to Ireland at the beginning of summer, circumstances have fallen, let’s say, on the other side of spectacular. We had to replace our clothes dryer, our heat and air conditioning system blew out, and lightening struck our modem, printer and DVD player.
For the past three weeks, yellow jackets have been invading our barn. My husband takes the scripture seriously about man having dominion over the earth (Gen. 1:28). So those bees aren’t going to defeat him! He took the hose on his wet vac and placed it by the hole where the bees entered. He calculated the vac sucked in about 1500 yellow jackets in the first hour! But undeterred, those little pests keep coming back. And the wet vac keeps drawing them in. At least it did until it overheated and the whole motor caught fire.
We were grateful the vac was sitting outside and not inside the barn.
Jesus warned that we would experience trouble in the world. Trouble far worse than “first world problems.” Trouble that would threaten our security, our faith, maybe even our lives. He doesn’t want us to be naïve about living in a fallen world. But rather than leaving us in despair, he promises to give us peace in the midst of trouble.
We have the opportunity to take every single concern and every single difficulty we face to God. Jesus says if we ask our Father in Jesus name, he will help us (John 16:23). I wonder if the relatively smaller troubles we face—like yellow jacket invasions and fried modems—are purposed to strengthen our faith for the more significant trials we encounter.
I’m afraid troubles in this world prove to be as persistent as those bees trying to take over our barn. But we can “take heart.” Because the One who has overcome the world and its troubles stands by our side. He promises to help us. To carry us through all our troubles.
Even bees in the barn