I think I'll just sleep in...

"Open the eyes of my heart, Lord. Open the eyes of my heart.
I want to see you. I want to see you." - Paul Baloche

"Stand by me. Oh, stand by me.
Oh, won't you please, stand by me." - Ben E. King

"Be of good cheer, for I have overcome the world." - Jesus

You know, some days it's just hard to see the good. those days when the debate of getting out of bed or just staying put  with the covers up are real. Those days it feels like you've been put on the crazy mouse ride by force, with out a safety bar. Maybe it's just me, but some days, facing the world is tough, and running seems a viable option.

That's where the verse in John's gospel always comes back to me. (Sometimes sooner, sometime later, depending on how much I resist!)

"I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world, you will have tribulation. But take heart. I have overcome the world." John 16:33 (ESV)

The trouble with fighting tribulation, is that in the midst of the fight, there is no end in sight. the greatest weapon in tribulations arsenal is the despair of failure. But this verse says there is an end. The tribulation in the world, whether global, national, local or personal, HAS BEEN OVERCOME. There is nothing the world can throw at you that Jesus has not overcome. Notice, He's not taking it away, necessarily, but assures you there is an end, you will win, and He's there with you to see you through.

As a person who sometimes can be depressed, I have clung to this verse like a security blanket. Does that sound weak? It's not. Jesus begs us to lean on Him, remove our burdens to take on His (Matt. 11:29-30). Rest in Him, and follow where He leads, even if the going is rough. (Ps. 23) In a time and a world that can be more than overwhelming, it is good to know that our guide, our savior, our Lord, our Jesus, has overcome.