When life catches me off guard. When circumstances do not go the way that I was expecting and I feel disappointment or discouragement. It is easy for me to succumb to my flesh, to worry and to fear. It is at these times that I turn to these passages of scripture and allow God to redirect my thoughts. When I meditate on these words, and trust in God as my loving Father, then the fears and worries seem to melt away.

            In the John 14 passage I am reminded that Jesus had just told His disciples that he was going to be taken and that He was going to be leaving them. They had just received the worst news that they could imagine. For them it seemed like the end, but Jesus knew that it was only the beginning. As He gives them these words of comfort, He lets them know that He sees and cares for their hearts and feelings, but He also redirects them from the circumstances to the Father who loves them and cares for them. We are reminded of what God has done for us, that He has always been faithful and will never forsake us.

            In the Matthew passage, which is part of what we call “The Sermon on the Mount” we are faced with Jesus’s teaching on how much the Father loves and cares for us. Our worth as His children, and His commitment to care and to provide for his children. It is impossible for me to believe that God would not be faithful to His promises, that He would just leave me on my own, to depend upon myself. In the teaching He reminds us of His care for the birds of the air and the grass of the fields, and how much more important we are then those. He then again redirects us from worry to focus instead on Him and His kingdom and His righteousness.

            The Jeremiah passage was written to a people who had been taken into captivity in Babylon. Certainly, they were fearful and disappointed at how life had turned out. When I read this passage, I am reminded that I only see the moment. I have absolutely no clear picture of the future. God knows everything from the beginning to the end. My plans often need to be adjusted because of unforeseen events. Nothing is unforeseen to God. His plans are perfect and cannot be changed. His plans for me will be completed and cannot be overthrown by anything.

            If all you see is darkness, remember that there is light for a look at the Saviour. Turn your eyes upon Jesus, look full in His wonderful face, and the things of earth will grow strangely dim, in the light of His Glory and Grace. Look for His Glory and Grace in every day.