Life can be stressful. There are… Problems we can’t solve. Situations we can’t handle. Demands we can’t meet. Changes we can’t avoid. Troubles we can’t escape. As Christians, we aren’t exempt from the stresses of life, but we are empowered to endure them. Real relief from stress comes not from the absence of tense and troubling situations, but from the presence of Jesus with us in those situations. Stressful becomes stress-free when we trust in this: Jesus will be with me. Jesus will help me. Jesus will guide me. Jesus will deliver me. Rest in knowing that you’re not the one who holds it all together. He is.

There is an enormous, eternal difference between knowing Jesus and knowing about Jesus. We can know about someone without being in a personal relationship with that person. So, how can we be certain that we really know Jesus and we are really bound for heaven? We look for evidences that He is changing us from the inside out. Knowing Jesus transforms us into people who increasingly, though imperfectly… Love His family. Desire His will. Value His mission. Treasure His word. Choose His way. Long for His return. Delight in His presence. No one who truly knows Jesus is ever left the same.

All times. All places. All circumstances. That’s when and where Jesus will be there with you and for you if you are trusting in Him. There are occasions so wonderful that you never want them to end. There are occasions so painful that they feel like they will never end. The key to not being distracted by the highs and defeated by the lows is to keep your eyes on Jesus and experience His strengthening, sustaining, satisfying presence in both the ups and downs, the wins and losses, the pleasures and pains. Today, trust and treasure Him. You can rightly go through all things because Jesus goes right through them with you.

The holiest nature. The brightest glory. The highest authority. The strongest power. The wisest intellect. The longest reign. The surest justice. The loveliest artistry. The kindest heart. The closest embrace. The greatest mission. The biggest sacrifice. The finest reward. The fullest grace. The deepest love. God doesn’t just have some of these things, He has them all. He doesn’t just have some of each of these things, He has the fullest portion, capacity, scope and measure of them all. Let us stand before Him today mind blown, hands raised, head bowed, heart stirred, mouth open and declare Him Worthiest of all.

God is able to carry the heaviest burden you will ever face and carry you to the other side by His grace. There is no weapon too powerful. There is no mountain too big. There is no task too great. There is no situation too hopeless. There is no adversary too insurmountable. Not. For. Him. Whatever you are struggling with… God will get you over it, under it, around it, through it, or away from it some way until the day comes when every obstacle has been permanently removed. Rest in this today as you trust the day to God: It may be too much for you to handle, but it’s never too much for Him.

The scoreboard may show us behind, but the game isn’t over yet. The pieces may be a jumbled mess, but the puzzle isn’t assembled yet. The road may seem to lead in the wrong direction, but the journey isn’t complete yet. For those who love Him, God is working ALL things together for an ultimate good. That means there is not a bad thing in the universe that isn’t factored into His plan. Even the difficult things, painful things, unexpected things, and hostile things will work toward a good result, a good fit and a good place for believers. When things don’t seem to be working, let us remember that God still is.

Take a look around. That’s all it takes to see that this world and the people in it are broken. Relationships are broken. Bodies are broken. Environments are broken. Hearts are broken. Communities are broken. Suffering is a reality that we all experience: everyone, everywhere, every day. What helps us get though the suffering is knowing this simple truth: it will not always be this way. A glorious day is coming when the broken will be made whole, the wrong will be made right, and the pain will be made into pleasure forever. No matter what comes next, we know what comes last and longest: Heaven. Take a look ahead.

There is no quota to meet. There is no bar to clear. There is no stage to reach. When it comes to serving the Kingdom of God with our lives, there are two things we need to understand. First, we don’t work to get into the kingdom. Second, we don’t stop working once we get into the kingdom. We are completely accepted because of the completed work of Jesus, and our faith rests in what He does, not what we do. But that doesn’t mean we rest from doing. God has ordained that we do good works all the days of our lives, never reaching a stopping point until we reach home. He saves us and sends us to share His love.

Human beings tend to be treasure hunters. We are inclined to attach too much value to, and become too attached to, earthly possessions and pleasures. We often want to have more of these for ourselves and have more of these than others do, so we spend our lives collecting and comparing. When we remind ourselves of all that we have in Jesus, this frees us to pursue better things. As adopted children of God, we are heirs to every good possession and endless pleasure in heaven. This means on earth we can be joyous no matter what we have, generous with what we do have, and unenvious of what others have.

Are you praying for God to change the lives of those who are close to you but far from Him? It may not look promising right now, but don’t lose hope because no one is a lost cause. That family member, that friend or even that foe can be changed by God no matter how disinterested they are in Him or distant they are from Him. A rebellious will can surrender to the plans of Jesus. A closed mind can open to the good news of Jesus. A hard heart can soften to the love of Jesus. Keep talking to God about that person and keep talking to that person about God. Remember: He can do for others what He has done for us.

It’s incredible. It’s inevitable. It’s irreversible. Life after death is coming for every person who has saving faith in Jesus. Jesus decisively defeated our enemy, our sin and our unbelief through His perfect life, His atoning death, His victorious resurrection and His effectual call upon our lives. In doing so, God removed everything standing in our way from fullness of joy and pleasure forevermore in His presence in heaven. Because of this, we do not need to fear death for we know what awaits on the other side. Take heart! For Christians, death is the door to life, and Jesus has left it unlocked for each of us to enter in.