Several years ago a young couple named Jimmy and Melinda and their new baby boy, Braden, started attending our church. They introduced themselves and wanted to tell me the story of how they had come to our church. They had become familiar with our church as a result of some individuals in the church going door-to-door in the neighborhood sharing the gospel, praying, and inviting people to attend our Sunday morning services. Jimmy and Melinda explained that they already had a church home, but the people from our church still asked if they could pray for them before they left.
Jimmy began to explain how Melinda had been healed by God, allowing them to start a family. Soon Melinda found out that she was pregnant, but one week later she miscarried. The couple was devastated by the bad news, saying, “This tested our faith.” A friend suggested that Melinda read the book Supernatural Childbirth. God used the book to teach her how to pray and have faith in His Word.
After sharing about their loss, the group prayed with them. As they were praying, one of the women in the group began to prophecy that they would have a baby boy within nine to ten months. They were able to experience the manifestation of that word of revelation ten months later when Melinda gave birth to a baby boy named Braden Nehemiah. Jimmy and Melinda experienced a miracle that day, one that they were unable to accomplish in their own strength and abilities, by agreeing with a word of revelation from God that allowed them to rest in Christ’s accomplishments.
Jesus said,
I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have (perfect) peace and confidence. In the world you have tribulation and trials and distress and frustration; but be of good cheer (take courage; be confident, certain, undaunted)! For I have overcome the world. (I have deprived it of power to harm you and have conquered it for you.)
Jesus speaks revelation to His disciples resulting in perfect peace and confidence in Him. In other words, Jesus is peace! He did not tell His disciples that they would have peace and confidence because their circumstances appeared to be better. He told them they would have peace and confidence in the midst of stressful times because of the revelation that they had received in regards to resting in Him and His accomplishments.
Jesus was not trying to say that we should be happy because our circumstances look negative! He said that we should have a positive outlook because He had already disarmed every power from its ability to harm us. We have to remember that if our circumstances appear to contradict God’s Word, we have already overcome them by Christ’s work on the cross. The appearance of our circumstances will be changing for our good as we begin to get a revelation of God’s Word. He already conquered the very source of the distress, trials, and frustration on our behalf!
