Let Not Your Heart Be Troubled
This is a message for these times, with the economy going in the way it is, people are
becoming afraid of losing their homes, and jobs, and money. The stock market losses
has affected many who thought that their retirement was set.
Jesus said “peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you, not as the world gives,
give I to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid” (John 14:27).
The word let means to permit or allow; which means we have a responsibility. In fact
we are told to guard our heart in Proverbs 4:20-23 it says “my son, attend to my
words, incline your ear to my sayings. Let them not depart from your eyes, keep them
in the midst of your heart. For they are life to those that find hem, and health to all
their flesh. Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it are the issues of life”.
David is called a man after God’s own heart, so let’s look at how he kept his heart. He
writes in the Psalms “what times I am afraid, I will trust in You. In God I will praise His
word, in God I have put my trust; I will not fear what flesh can do to me” (Psalms 56:3-
4); Psalms 27:1-5 says “the Lord Yahweh is my light and my salvation; whom shall I
fear? The Lord Yahweh is the strength of my life, of whom shall I be afraid? When
the wicked, even my enemies and my foes came upon me to eat up my flesh, they
stumbled and fell. Though a host should encamp against me, my heart shall not fear,
though war should rise against me, in this will I be confident. One thing have I desire
of the Lord Yahweh, that will I seek after, that I may dwell in the house of the Lord
Yahweh all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord Yahweh, and to
enquire in His temple. For in the time of trouble He shall hide me in His pavilion, in the
secret of His tabernacle shall He hide me; He shall set me up upon a rock”; and
Psalms 23 says “the Lord Yahweh is my shepherd, shall not want. He makes me to lie
down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul, He
leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake. Yea, though I walk
through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for You are with me. Your
rod and Your staff they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence
of my enemies, You anoint my head with oil; my cup runs over. Surely goodness and
mercy shall follow me, all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord
Yahweh for ever”.
As David was in a very bad situation, when the enemy had burned down Ziklag and
had taken all the women and children captive, his own men sought to stone him; he
inquired of the Lord Yahweh and asked for His guidance (I Samuel 30:8) says “And
David enquired at the Lord Yahweh, saying, shall I pursue after this troop? Shall I
overtake them? And He answered him, pursue; for you shall surely overtake them,
and without fail recover all”.
Paul when through some trying times ((II Corinthians 11:23-25) says “but I am more in
labors, more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequent, in death
often. Of the Jews five times received I forty stripes, save one. Thrice was I beaten
with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I have
been in the deep. In journeying often, in perils of water, in perils of robbers, in perils
by my own countrymen, in perils by the heathen, in perils in the city, in perils in the
wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren. In weariness and
painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and
nakeness.
He wrote his greatest letters while he was in the dungeon knowing that his time to
depart was near.
Paul said “for our light affliction which is but for a moment works for us a far more
exceeding and eternal weight of glory. While we look not at the things which are
seen, but at the things which are not seen, for the things which are seen are
temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal”.
Paul tells us in Philippians 4:4,6-7 “rejoice in the Lord always, and again I say,
rejoice. Be careful for nothing, but in every thing by prayer and supplication with
thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which
passes all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus”.
Jesus was able to go on to the cross, because He looked past it (Hebrews 12:2-3)
says “looking to Jesus the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set
before Him, endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right
hand of the throne of God. for consider Him that endured such contradiction of
sinners against Himself, less you be wearied and faint in your minds”.
Jesus told us what to do in remembrance of Him (Luke 22:19-20; and I Corinthians 11:
25-26) “and He took bread, and gave thanks, and broke it and gave to them, saying,
this is My body which is given for you, this do in remembrance of Me. Likewise also
the cup after supper saying, this cup is the new testament in My blood, which is shed
for you”. As you take communion think on what He did for you. We are to remember
that He took all of our sins and gave us His righteousness (II Corinthians 5:21). And
that He bore our pains and carried away our sorrows (Isaiah 53:4-5). That He
defeated the devil for us (Colossians 2:15).
When you let your heart be troubled, you have let fear in, and where fear is, there is
the devil; “for fear has torment”. God has told us many times “fear not”, He even tells
us why in Isaiah 41:10, He says “fear you not, for I am with you, be not dismayed for I
am your God, I will strengthen you; yea, I will help you, yea, I will uphold you with the
right hand of My righteousness”.
Stop looking by sight, and focus on the word of God that will bring down any
circumstance. Meditate on the fact that you have put on Christ, and that as
Philippians 4:13 says “I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me”.
Search the scriptures, look up all the verses that comes against what ever the devil is
trying to bring you to fear. Remember as you resist the devil, he will flee from you
(James 4:7). It will give you the peace that surpasses all understanding. The Bible
says in Isaiah 26:3 “You will keep them in perfect peace, whose mine is stayed on
You, because he trusts in You”.
The greatest reason to let not your heart be troubled is because as your focus goes
so does your life (Proverbs 23:7) says “as a man thinks in his heart, so is he”. The
devil cannot prevail against the church, but he goes on giving you thoughts that if you
take them, you will defeat yourself. Remember that Jesus said “don’t take a bad
thought saying”, we take the thought when we speak it. Yet you hear Christians
saying, I have this or that. Think about this, if someone sent you a box in the mail that
had some sickness or poverty in it, would you accept that box? No, you would return
it to the sender. Well when you start saying that bad thought, you have taken it;
instead quote the word of God that is against that thought (II Corinthians 10:4-5) “for
the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling
down of strong holds. Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalts
itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the
obedience of Christ”.
Remember, we don’t have to let our hearts be troubled; as we draw near to God, He
will draw near to us” (James 4:8). And the Bible says in Psalms 16:7-11 “I will bless
the Lord Yahweh, who has given me counsel, my reins also instruct me in the night
seasons. I have set the Lord Yahweh always before me; because He is at my right
hand, I shall not be moved. Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoices, my
flesh also shall rest in hope. For You will not leave my soul in hell, neither will You
allow Your Holy One to see corruption. You will show me the path of life, in Your
presence is fullness of joy, at Your right hand there are pleasures for evermore”.
Sermon by: Harriet Bond
Date: December 26, 2008
This is a message for these times, with the economy going in the way it is, people are
becoming afraid of losing their homes, and jobs, and money. The stock market losses
has affected many who thought that their retirement was set.
Jesus said “peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you, not as the world gives,
give I to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid” (John 14:27).
The word let means to permit or allow; which means we have a responsibility. In fact
we are told to guard our heart in Proverbs 4:20-23 it says “my son, attend to my
words, incline your ear to my sayings. Let them not depart from your eyes, keep them
in the midst of your heart. For they are life to those that find hem, and health to all
their flesh. Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it are the issues of life”.
David is called a man after God’s own heart, so let’s look at how he kept his heart. He
writes in the Psalms “what times I am afraid, I will trust in You. In God I will praise His
word, in God I have put my trust; I will not fear what flesh can do to me” (Psalms 56:3-
4); Psalms 27:1-5 says “the Lord Yahweh is my light and my salvation; whom shall I
fear? The Lord Yahweh is the strength of my life, of whom shall I be afraid? When
the wicked, even my enemies and my foes came upon me to eat up my flesh, they
stumbled and fell. Though a host should encamp against me, my heart shall not fear,
though war should rise against me, in this will I be confident. One thing have I desire
of the Lord Yahweh, that will I seek after, that I may dwell in the house of the Lord
Yahweh all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord Yahweh, and to
enquire in His temple. For in the time of trouble He shall hide me in His pavilion, in the
secret of His tabernacle shall He hide me; He shall set me up upon a rock”; and
Psalms 23 says “the Lord Yahweh is my shepherd, shall not want. He makes me to lie
down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul, He
leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake. Yea, though I walk
through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for You are with me. Your
rod and Your staff they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence
of my enemies, You anoint my head with oil; my cup runs over. Surely goodness and
mercy shall follow me, all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord
Yahweh for ever”.
As David was in a very bad situation, when the enemy had burned down Ziklag and
had taken all the women and children captive, his own men sought to stone him; he
inquired of the Lord Yahweh and asked for His guidance (I Samuel 30:8) says “And
David enquired at the Lord Yahweh, saying, shall I pursue after this troop? Shall I
overtake them? And He answered him, pursue; for you shall surely overtake them,
and without fail recover all”.
Paul when through some trying times ((II Corinthians 11:23-25) says “but I am more in
labors, more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequent, in death
often. Of the Jews five times received I forty stripes, save one. Thrice was I beaten
with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I have
been in the deep. In journeying often, in perils of water, in perils of robbers, in perils
by my own countrymen, in perils by the heathen, in perils in the city, in perils in the
wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren. In weariness and
painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and
nakeness.
He wrote his greatest letters while he was in the dungeon knowing that his time to
depart was near.
Paul said “for our light affliction which is but for a moment works for us a far more
exceeding and eternal weight of glory. While we look not at the things which are
seen, but at the things which are not seen, for the things which are seen are
temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal”.
Paul tells us in Philippians 4:4,6-7 “rejoice in the Lord always, and again I say,
rejoice. Be careful for nothing, but in every thing by prayer and supplication with
thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which
passes all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus”.
Jesus was able to go on to the cross, because He looked past it (Hebrews 12:2-3)
says “looking to Jesus the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set
before Him, endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right
hand of the throne of God. for consider Him that endured such contradiction of
sinners against Himself, less you be wearied and faint in your minds”.
Jesus told us what to do in remembrance of Him (Luke 22:19-20; and I Corinthians 11:
25-26) “and He took bread, and gave thanks, and broke it and gave to them, saying,
this is My body which is given for you, this do in remembrance of Me. Likewise also
the cup after supper saying, this cup is the new testament in My blood, which is shed
for you”. As you take communion think on what He did for you. We are to remember
that He took all of our sins and gave us His righteousness (II Corinthians 5:21). And
that He bore our pains and carried away our sorrows (Isaiah 53:4-5). That He
defeated the devil for us (Colossians 2:15).
When you let your heart be troubled, you have let fear in, and where fear is, there is
the devil; “for fear has torment”. God has told us many times “fear not”, He even tells
us why in Isaiah 41:10, He says “fear you not, for I am with you, be not dismayed for I
am your God, I will strengthen you; yea, I will help you, yea, I will uphold you with the
right hand of My righteousness”.
Stop looking by sight, and focus on the word of God that will bring down any
circumstance. Meditate on the fact that you have put on Christ, and that as
Philippians 4:13 says “I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me”.
Search the scriptures, look up all the verses that comes against what ever the devil is
trying to bring you to fear. Remember as you resist the devil, he will flee from you
(James 4:7). It will give you the peace that surpasses all understanding. The Bible
says in Isaiah 26:3 “You will keep them in perfect peace, whose mine is stayed on
You, because he trusts in You”.
The greatest reason to let not your heart be troubled is because as your focus goes
so does your life (Proverbs 23:7) says “as a man thinks in his heart, so is he”. The
devil cannot prevail against the church, but he goes on giving you thoughts that if you
take them, you will defeat yourself. Remember that Jesus said “don’t take a bad
thought saying”, we take the thought when we speak it. Yet you hear Christians
saying, I have this or that. Think about this, if someone sent you a box in the mail that
had some sickness or poverty in it, would you accept that box? No, you would return
it to the sender. Well when you start saying that bad thought, you have taken it;
instead quote the word of God that is against that thought (II Corinthians 10:4-5) “for
the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling
down of strong holds. Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalts
itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the
obedience of Christ”.
Remember, we don’t have to let our hearts be troubled; as we draw near to God, He
will draw near to us” (James 4:8). And the Bible says in Psalms 16:7-11 “I will bless
the Lord Yahweh, who has given me counsel, my reins also instruct me in the night
seasons. I have set the Lord Yahweh always before me; because He is at my right
hand, I shall not be moved. Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoices, my
flesh also shall rest in hope. For You will not leave my soul in hell, neither will You
allow Your Holy One to see corruption. You will show me the path of life, in Your
presence is fullness of joy, at Your right hand there are pleasures for evermore”.
Sermon by: Harriet Bond
Date: December 26, 2008
