By Cameron Kelly

“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.” ~ John 14:27

We are like the apostles

I have a troubled heart sometimes. With the Covid pandemic overshadowing much of my senior year of college, taking away a research trip, scattering my friends, and shortening my graduation, I have a little bit of trouble trusting that my plans will actually come to fruition. Some of that has bled into my relationship with Jesus. Is He going to take away my desires and plans the same way? I know I’m supposed to trust that His plan is better and for my good, but will it actually happen?

Easter time is full of fulfilled promises and prophecies. In the early Easter octave, it is easy to feel consoled and confident in God’s plans and divinity. Six weeks later, we might be back in some of our old thoughts and habits, back on the ground from the Spiritual ‘high’ we experienced, wondering if fulfilled promises are meant for others and not for us. Believe it or not, Jesus’s disciples felt the same way. Despite all His miracles during the three years of His ministry, they did not understand and had trouble trusting that Jesus would do as He said and come back to them.

“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give it to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid. You heard me tell you, ‘I am going away and I will come back to you.’”

Part of me is very much like the apostles in that – well, my heart IS troubled. When I lean on my own plans and expect my own plans to happen without the peace of God in my heart, I set myself up for disappointment. Jesus constantly reminds me – “Not as the world gives do I give it to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid.”

The greatest promise of God

Jesus’s gifts are so much greater than the worldly gifts you receive – on your birthday, Christmas, and even in the Easter eggs hidden around the house. His gift is the gift of Himself, of His sacrifice, and of His continual love and mercy. Jesus shows up! He won’t leave you hanging or wondering where He’s gone. In the joy of Easter Sunday, and even now, six Sundays later – He’s here. You can let your heart settle a little bit.

The divine promises of God will not flutter away like my chances of researching mammals in South America, friend. I know this because God Himself says it is so. If you’re struggling to trust that God’s plans will stick around, remember that to pray is to speak to God, and to read Scripture is God speaking to you. Reflecting on the many promises of God, the miracles He performed, and taking comfort in His gentleness with the disciples who doubted will calm your troubled hearts just like it calmed mine.

Prayer

Jesus, you who gave us your divine peace knows well the plans you have for me. My heart feels troubled and struggles to separate the failures of my earthly plans with the glory of your divine plans. Help me to seek your words when I need consolation. Amen.

Call to Action

Find a passage in the Bible where Jesus calms anxious hearts, fulfills His promise, or performs a miracle, and reflect on how you feel while reading. Ask the Holy Spirit to open your heart to anything you might need to hear from God.

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