Take Heart

Hearts rebuilt by divine Love 

allow pain to become peace.

There is no escaping pain in this world.

Jesus told us so Himself.

"In this world you will have trouble and suffering, 

but take heart for I have overcome the world."

John 16:33

He obviously didn't overcome the world

by removing trouble and suffering.

He overcame the world by incarnating 

the love of His Father.

"For God so loved the world that He gave..."

His love for us, in us and over us 

protect us from all trials we have in this life;

His love is our "take heart" reason.

Paul described the trouble and suffering as

life and death, powers and principalities,

things that are threatening and impending,

things to come, heights and depths,

and every sort of thing that can come at us.

None of this fazes us because Jesus loves us. 

I’m absolutely convinced that nothing...

absolutely nothing can get between us 

and God’s love because of the way 

that Jesus our Master has embraced us.

Romans 8:38-39

If we could be persuaded by

revelation, reason and experience

that this one great truth is more real

than the air we breathe,

then "taking heart" would be our default.

Pain doesn't separate us from His love;

pain gets absorbed by His love.

His banner over me was love, 

for love waved as a protecting and

comforting banner over my head

when I was near Him.

Song of Solomon 2:4

His banner of love is ever over us—

His redeeming love, His everlasting love, 

His restoring, sanctifying, and atoning love.

His love sets us free and delivers us from fear.

His love is our life, our hope and our confidence.

We are part of those armies of heaven 

riding behind the One named Faithful and True.

We are carrying the same banner that He carries,

the banner He carried on earth as in heaven.

The banner with the word Love.

His love heals every wound, 

transforming pain into peace.

In a world flooded with trouble and suffering,

we live under the banner of His love

that we may demonstrate our union with Him.

At this season, may we be persuaded that

absolutely nothing can get between us 

and God’s love because of the way 

that Jesus our Master has embraced us.

As His love rebuilds our hearts,

we then go out and help others see that

His divine love has the power to transform

their pain and allow it to become peace.

God is love and 

He is the Prince of Peace.

He is forever the reason 

we can "take heart,"

and is exactly what the world

so desperately needs to know.