Take heart.

Written by Janet Perez Eckles on 16/01/2018
Series: Weekly Devotional
Tags: Joy, Jesus, Hope, Restoration
And behold, some people brought to him a paralytic, lying on a bed. And when Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Take heart, my son; your sins are forgiven.”

Matthew 9:2
The plane landed in Phoenix, I unbuckled my seatbelt and was about to stand up. But before I did, I searched for my cell phone, making sure I had it in order to call the person to pick me up from the airport.

I looked in the pockets, in the bag, in my purse. No cell phone.

For a moment, fear robbed my joy. I took a deep breath, again reached at the bottom of my bag and sure enough, there was my cell phone.

Have you done that? All is going well, when suddenly, without warning, something happens that robs your joy and steals your peace?

The secret to bring back that joy is found in two words, two lovely words. The words that call our attention. Jesus pronounced them after joy had turned to gloom. He said, “Take heart.” These two words could mean: listen up, pay attention, be encouraged. No disappointment, or hopeless situation is a match for His power to overcome. Jesus said, “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33)
No matter what paralyzes us—sin, shame, mistakes, adversities, “Jesus said to the paralytic, ‘Take heart, son; your sins are forgiven.’” (Matthew 9:2)
When health fails, illness lasts way too long, or broken relationships makes the heart bleed, Jesus still says to take heart. “Just then a woman who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years came up behind him and touched the edge of his cloak. She said to herself, ‘If I only touch his cloak, I will be healed.’ Jesus turned and saw her. ‘Take heart, daughter,’ he said, ‘your faith has healed you.’ And the woman was healed from that moment.” (Matthew 9:20-22)
Joy comes back when we believe He has the powerfully perfect words. The words to change hearts, wipe sin, heal relationships and restore lives.

Pray this week:
Lord, please restore my life, to heal what is broken and wipe away my sins. Please fill my life with the joy only you can give. Amen.

In your circumstance that hurts, in the conflict that lingers and in the illness that drains you, He’s saying to you, take heart. How will you respond?