Of all the promises of God, this is the least favorite one I could find. It is found in John 16:33. "In the world you will have tribulation" or in the NIV, "you will have much trouble."

That is what Jesus promised his disciples, in this world you will have much trouble. That's what we have to expect…TROUBLE.

As we look in the world we see, that it's full of trouble…it's full of pain…it's full of sorrow…it's full of sickness…it's full of sadness…it's full heartbreak and heartache…it's full of things that constantly leave us asking…WHY?...or HOW is this going to end well.

The Bible is very clear in Romans 8, it says, it's not just people who suffer, now the whole world has been suffering. It talks about the whole world, all of creation has been groaning as if it's been in the pains of childbirth and it will continue to do this. In other words, all of the world is suffering or to say it in another way, earth is not heaven and it never will be. So we should not expect it to be.

This world will be full of trouble for the simple fact that earth is not heaven, you know that, I know that, and Jesus knows that. Which is why he went on after that promise with his disciples. In John 16, the full verse where Jesus made that promise that you will have trouble goes like this:

“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.”

In other words, what you see with your eyes on earth is not the end of the story. Jesus overcame everything in this dark world to give it to us for free. It's coming, but it means living by faith until we get there, recognizing that sometimes our eyes are going to see some very painful things…recognizing that sometimes our hearts are going to feel very, very broken…and our faith will always need to see the Jesus who was willing to die for us and is powerful enough to overcome everything this world that tried to break him down, to prepare a place for us that truly is heaven.

It's coming and we live by faith until we get there!