Devotions
Why is your heart troubled?
Why are you, the king’s son, so depressed every morning? Can’t you tell me? 2Samuel 13:4 (NLT)
A
friend of mine who is a judge told me of a story of two “servants of God” who
were in court, one accusing the other of trying to steal his ministry. Their
case was being handled by another judge who was not a believer. The judge asked
one of the complainers: “Didn’t you say that you are a servant of God? Then
what is your problem?” Unfortunately, the plaintiff did not grasp the sarcasm
in the question. What the judge implied was actually, “if you are a servant of
God, then the ministry practically doesn’t belong to neither of you, so there
is no need to fight because the owner of the ministry, who is God, will take
care of it.” The heart of the problem is this: every believer must not only
know that they are children of God but also be able to live that identity. If
you know for sure that you are a child of God, there are things that should not
concern you, and some battles that you should not fight because God always
takes care of His own.
The above verse doesn’t have a good
context because of what follows in that scripture. A young lady was raped by
her half-brother, and as a result, there was bloodshed in the family
(2Samuel13:1-33). The Bible calls Jonadab, the man who spoke those words, a
very crafty man, meaning cunning and deceitful, the very same characteristics
of the devil. Nevertheless, I like those words because they challenge us to
remember our identity and its impact on our lives. And as I said above, when
you know who you are in Christ, when you grasp the implication of that truth,
you can’t have a troubled heart. Your heart is at peace, and it manifests in
how you look, speak and act. When I was still a young born-again Christian, I
used to think that being carefree was a sign of irresponsibility. I would hear
mature Christians repeating over and over that, “God knows, and he has the
answer” when facing problems. I hated hearing those words. I would wonder how
someone responsible could not be worried when they do not know how they will
pay their rent or their children’s school fees. How will they get treatment if
they fall sick? Thank God I have since grown up. Now, I understand that it is
because they have mastered the art of casting their burdens on Jesus, for He
cares for them. Today, I try my best to put my feet in their footprints. It
does not mean we live irresponsible lives but that as we juggle through the
struggles of life, we do not need to have a sullen face and swollen eyes
because of many sleepless nights; instead, we are calm and hopeful, expecting
our Father to open the right door at the right time.
You see, worrying does not equal
looking for a solution, as many confuse it with being, and not worrying does
not mean being inactive. I wish we could have many positive “Jonadabs,” who
will tell us every morning, “aren’t you the son/daughter of the King of kings?
What is there to be worried about?” Anxiety in the heart causes depression
(Proverbs 12:25 - NKJV). What is true, what you will hear over and over, is
that God will never abandon his children to face things that they are not able
to handle; he will not put you in a situation that will crush you into pieces.
This is what we hear often: “we are living in troubled time”. Yes, there are
troubles around us but “Let not your
heart be troubled, and do not be afraid” (John 14:27). For you are a
son/daughter of the King.
Posted : May 18, 2026