The other day a person came up to me at work and started telling me the latest gossip and rumors—things from the past and things that may happen to me in the future.  Basically, they were telling me all the things I should worry about, bringing up people that tried to hurt me, and trying to get me to think about what they were saying.  Finally. I just told them those things don’t worry or bother me. You can bring up the past experiences of when people hurt me and when they came against me or anything you want to try to worry me with, but there was one thing that they didn’t understand about me.  God hasn’t given me the spirit of fear or hatred of man, and I won’t receive it into my heart just because it’s in yours.  I believe nothing comes to me except it goes through the Father’s approval.  Not one problem that is sent my way will get to me before the Father looks it over and then looks me over and says “Ok, Eric is ready for that.  Go ahead.”

Romans 8:28 And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.

 This is what you find in Job’s life and Joseph’s life.  Problems sent to destroy God’s children but elevated them in the end.

In the garden, Jesus was praying, and they came to arrest Him.  Peter grabs his sword and tries to rescue Jesus, but quickly gets a rebuke.

John 18:11 Jesus commanded Peter, “Put your sword away! Shall I not drink the cup the Father has given me?”

Jesus knew the cup and the suffering He was soon to endure was sent from his Father.  Jesus trusted his Father, so He was ready to endure them. This tells me, even in a time of suffering or a time of pain, that God is with me and will bring me through it.  If I stay by His side, I will come out stronger on the other side of the problem.

Only people who trust in God can look at the people who play a Judas role and call them friend and love them. If God is real (and He is), then what is there to fear?  What is there for His children to worry about?  If you are God’s son, then He will be with you.  The people that hurt you are just there to do what their purpose in your life is.  Why be mad at them for that?  Like Jesus said to Judas in the garden, “Go ahead and do what you’ve come to do.”  Don’t hate Judas; love Him, even if he steals from you when you aren’t looking.  Jesus brings rest and peace, not worry and anger.  Trust in your Father.  He will never let you down.  The little problems in your life, whether big or small, are not problems to Him.  Stand there in the midst of them and say, like Job, “Even if you kill me, I will still trust you”.  Or, determine to do what is right, like Esther and just say, “If I die, then I die”.  Don’t listen to people who try to stir you up and bring fear and anger into your life.  Just drink the cup.  In the end, it will be good for you anyways.