“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.” (John 16:33)

“And that spells trouble, with a capital T!”  This line comes from The Music Man, one of my favorite musicals.  The trouble it was speaking of was actually a pool hall opening in town.  Oh, if only that were all the trouble we had to worry about.  These days, there’s school shootings, suicides, road rage incidents, politics, international insecurity, financial worries, marital struggles, parental difficulties, etc., etc., etc.  Jesus wasn’t kidding when He told the disciples that “…in this world you will have trouble.”  There’s trouble everywhere!

I know I have troubles.  In my home.  At work. With my kids. With my marriage. With my health.  Don’t get me wrong–I am so very blessed. But there are certainly trials and tribulations in all areas of my life.  Satan knows just where to attack us.  But Jesus promises here in this passage that He has overcome these troubles, and He guides and helps me to overcome them too.  Actually, it’s simply a matter of letting Him doing the overcoming and me just trusting Him and allowing Him to work everything out.  Simple, but not necessarily a simple task to do.

But, oh, if only those were all the troubles we had to worry about.  It’s not the troubles in the world that are most troublesome, but the trouble the world is in.  Did you get that?  Let me say it again.  The troubles IN the world don’t compare to the trouble the world is in.  The world is in trouble because of the sin problem, because Adam and Eve sinned, which allowed Satan to gain control.  We and all humanity were doomed to die for all eternity because God cannot be in the presence of sin.  But take heart!  Jesus, with His perfect life lived, and perfect death offered on the Cross, took back control of this world.  He has overcome!  Now, we are offered eternal life with God through faith.

For this faith art journaling page, I journaled in my 100 Days of Bible Promises Devotional by Dayspring.  I used the June Faith Art Box by Creative Retreat Kits, and I used some Shimmerz products:  Cotton Candy Spritz and Don’t Rain on My Parade Vibez.  You can see the entire process video below or on my YouTube Channel.

How has God helped you to overcome troubles, both little and big problems, in your life?