{"id":12365,"date":"2024-01-01T09:10:15","date_gmt":"2024-01-01T15:10:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/joanndownsalo.com\/?p=12365"},"modified":"2026-07-03T08:22:25","modified_gmt":"2026-07-03T13:22:25","slug":"a-word-about-trouble","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/joalo.org\/?p=12365","title":{"rendered":"A Word About Trouble"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

I woke to a troubling sound in the night. At first it sounded as though it was beneath me. A single clink from the heat vent. What could that be,<\/em> I wondered. Then it grew and I walked around the dark room for a clue. To the window I went as the thundering drew closer and more threatening. Is this the war come to my country,<\/em> my heart questioned the Spirit within me. “Is it You, Lord? I’m watching for You,” my warm breath on the cold glass.

Catching fireworks lighting the distance, I remembered the New Year. Returning to bed, I found it was 12:05 midnight. Under the covers I went, strangely discontent. For the troubles of my heart would not be put out. I imagined all the souls with only the single hope of a new year on earth.\u00a0

It’s hard to celebrate a turning calendar when all your hopes are a daughter’s heart turning to Jesus. Our sons and mothers, fathers and grandchildren, neighbors and strangers all delighting in One Savior can be the only fire we get excited about.

As Jesus prepared to leave the earth His disciples were troubled. “We do not know where you are going, how can we know the way?” “Lord, show us the Father, and it is sufficient for us.” They sought confirmation, direction, guarantees. The world was still a mess and Jesus was leaving!

Let these earth shaking words ignite your heart: “A little while longer and the world will see Me no more, but you will see Me.<\/em> Because I live, you will live also<\/em>. At that day you will know that I am in the Father, and you in Me, and I in you.<\/em> He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him.” (John 14:19-21)

Yes . . . trouble is on the horizon, but our eyes are on Jesus. <\/em>We hear Him\u2014the Spirit of truth\u2014c<\/em>onfirming every word God has ever spoken.\u00a0And we see Him<\/em>\u2014His hand in all creation. And we love Him<\/em>\u2014every commandment continually upholding us. And we know Him<\/em>\u2014because the Comforter dwells in us.<\/strong>

“Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me.” (John 14:1)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I woke to a troubling sound in the night. At first it sounded as though it was beneath me. A single clink from the heat vent. What could that be, I wondered. Then it grew and I walked around the dark room for a clue. To the window I went as the thundering drew closer […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":143625079,"featured_media":12383,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_coblocks_attr":"","_coblocks_dimensions":"","_coblocks_responsive_height":"","_coblocks_accordion_ie_support":"","advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"jetpack_seo_schema_type":"","_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_wpcom_ai_launchpad_first_post":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[33380],"tags":[773157835,773157865,773157852,254455,773157854,773157877],"class_list":["post-12365","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-holy-spirit","tag-faith","tag-hope","tag-jesus","tag-the-holy-spirit","tag-trouble","tag-trust"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pacmrQ-3dr","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":13751,"url":"https:\/\/joalo.org\/?p=13751","url_meta":{"origin":12365,"position":0},"title":"Even When We Can’t See One Reason for Hope","author":"Jo Alo","date":"August 17, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"I've been stuck in my lack of performance. When this happens, the devil comes at me like a mortician\u2014able to drain the blood right out of me.Depression can feel like that.God made promises. And He's never broken one of them. Me, on the other hand, can't seem to keep a\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "hope"","block_context":{"text":"hope","link":"https:\/\/joalo.org\/?cat=20816"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/joalo.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/patrick-hendry-jd0hs7vhn_a-unsplash.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/joalo.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/patrick-hendry-jd0hs7vhn_a-unsplash.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/joalo.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/patrick-hendry-jd0hs7vhn_a-unsplash.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/joalo.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/patrick-hendry-jd0hs7vhn_a-unsplash.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/joalo.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/patrick-hendry-jd0hs7vhn_a-unsplash.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":9155,"url":"https:\/\/joalo.org\/?p=9155","url_meta":{"origin":12365,"position":1},"title":"“Draw near to listen.” Ecclesiastes 5:1","author":"Jo Alo","date":"April 3, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"Do not imagine God has nothing to say. We have 66 books, some 1,550 pages, roughly 785,000 words to the contrary.\u00a0God has wisdom to spare.\u00a0There be no shortage of knowledge and insight, no question about it\u2014understanding abounding.\u00a0Surely reading what God has breathed through the lifeless pen of sinful men be\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "The Bible"","block_context":{"text":"The Bible","link":"https:\/\/joalo.org\/?cat=54418"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/joalo.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/anna-hecker-vrkw8lba300-unsplash.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/joalo.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/anna-hecker-vrkw8lba300-unsplash.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/joalo.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/anna-hecker-vrkw8lba300-unsplash.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/joalo.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/anna-hecker-vrkw8lba300-unsplash.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/joalo.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/anna-hecker-vrkw8lba300-unsplash.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":11258,"url":"https:\/\/joalo.org\/?p=11258","url_meta":{"origin":12365,"position":2},"title":"Hope For Your Helpless Heart","author":"Jo Alo","date":"July 9, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"Someone may need reminding today \u2014 that Jesus Christ overcame the grave. 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