Thursday(7.15), Uprooting Restlessness
 Read John 14:1-6. In the midst of our own restlessness, what can we do that our hearts will not feel troubled? What is the key to overcoming division, selfishness, ambition, hypocrisy, and truly finding rest?


 Overcoming restlessness always begins with Jesus. He is the way, the truth, and the life. He knows the right direction when we wander aimlessly in the wilderness of our media-saturated world; as the divine Lawgiver He Himself is the personified truth, and His Spirit will guide us into all truth (John 16:13). When we are hurt, tired, worn out, sick, and discouraged, He is the life — not just any life. In fact, He has promised us life in abundance (John 10:10). This includes our eternal home and eternal life, but it also entails a different quality of life here. The Creator surely is able to give abundantly and beyond measure, even now.


 “Let not your heart be troubled” is an invitation to live in anticipation. When we feel low, He is able to put us on a higher plain. When we struggle with darkness and sin, He is the One who not only began but will also finish His good work in us (Phil. 1:6).

 No matter how bad things get here (and yes, they can get bad) look at the promise we have been given in Jesus. He is preparing a “place” for us, a place where our pain, restlessness, and suffering will forever be banished. That is the hope we have been given in Christ Jesus, and it is offered to all of us, no matter who we are, no matter our background, no matter how sordid our lives have been or are now.


 The key, however, is for us to come to God anyway in our weakness, in our hurt, in our brokenness, and in our general fallen state, knowing that He accepts us despite these things. That is what grace is all about, and why we must believe that we have been given it if we seek for it in faith.


 Read Jeremiah 3:22. What does God ask us to do, and then, what will He do in response for us?

 Think about Jesus’ words: “I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also” (John 14:3, NKJV). What should this tell us about how central and crucial the promise of the Second Coming is? Especially for us as Adventists (with our understanding of death), why is the promise of the Second Coming so precious?