“I have told you all this so that you will have peace of heart and mind. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows; but cheer up, for I have overcome the world.” John 16:33

We can have a deep sense of peace today even if our lives are shrouded in uncertainty. God is still faithful. God is still good. God is still present. God is still working. Everything is being put into place to create a beautiful whole. Everything will fit together according to His plan, even when it seems the pieces are scattered in every direction.

Naturally, we’d like to see what our lives will look like after every circumstance is weaved together for our good by God. Especially when the challenge appears insurmountable. God is bigger than any challenge and greater than any force of opposition. We don’t have to know how it will work out, we have to stay strong and keep believing that it will. Maybe the reason Jesus told us to ‘cheer up’ is because He knows joy is our path to strength—and we have to go to God to get the joy.

Peace of heart and mind is the cornerstone of a simple life. If we try to stand strong under the weight of worry or live in fear of outcomes we can’t control, we set ourselves up for exhaustion. Our peace of mind is knowing everything that comes against us has been overcome by the love that saved us. And that love has the power to cheer us up in the face of any trial.  (from The Campfire is Calling)