Hello Reader,

I walked over to my laptop to sit on the sofa and craft this week's email, just as my phone beeped with a message from a friend serving as a missionary in Israel. Attacks whispered about earlier in the day were now executed. Images littered my screen as news outlets blasted what little bits of information they had.

Words began to spin in my brain. All the ideas I had been stewing with all week for this email became jumbled up. Everywhere I turn there is some disaster, riot, chaos, conflict.

How do you write about faith and hope to people when the world feels like it's burning itself up with wickedness and evil?

As I whispered to the Lord in front of an empty screen, "What do I write now?" He responded, "The same thing you would have been able to say to them before any of these events began, the circumstances don't change who I AM."

When we look to the world it can be depressing. The truth before us is that the evil around us creeps closer and closer into our lives. None of us are immune from suffering and chaos. A reality near to my heart as I consider my dear friends overseas and pray for loved ones in different parts of the world, and my own country, where chaos is consuming their environments.

Chaos and conflict shouldn't surprise us though. Jesus warned us of this when He said, "In this world you will have trouble."

Trouble is part of this world.

But Jesus didn't just acknowledge the truth of our reality, He gives us hope in the midst of our reality. He didn't stop with telling us we will have trouble, He continued His statement by issuing a command, "but take heart, I have overcome the world" (John 16:33).

What I love about this passage is that Jesus said it before He went to the cross. Before He was arrested, charged, tortured, crucified, buried, and resurrected. Before the disciples saw the evidence of what Jesus was about to do for humanity, Jesus warned them of what would come and declared victory in the midst of chaos.

So as the world burns around me, as riots ensue, people protest, parties cry out, nations wage war, as the circumstances of this world show chaos, my best response is to fix my eyes of Jesus--the One who overcame the world. Because when we do that, when we look to Jesus and not the world, then we know how to pray for peace and be peacemakers, we know how to speak and when to stay silent, we know how to serve and love our neighbor, we know how to walk in discernment.

We can't control the circumstances of the world around us, but we can control where we fix our faith. We can take heart and obey the command of Jesus by trusting in Him and His power.

I had so many other topics to write about this week, and maybe I will tackle one of them next week, but today my heart and faith needed the reminder that this world is full of trouble, but we serve a God who stepped into this world to not only save us from the trouble of sin and death, He stepped into the trouble with us. He is present in the pain. He is faithful even when things around us seem like they're fading away.

Jesus overcame, and He has empowered us to overcome as well.

This world is not our home.

Father, I take heart that You see all things, know all things, and nothing takes You by surprise. You know the end from the beginning and have already overcome. As I endure the troubles of this world help me to fix my eyes on Jesus and serve You faithfully in everything. Comfort, protect, and empower Your people as we do Your will. In the name of Jesus and by the power of the Spirit I pray, amen.

In His Grace,

Another Bible Study is Live!

If you've been around a while you know I've begun doing Bible study email series and offering them to you. Right now I am deep in study through the books of the minor prophets, and I have learned to love these writings in a fresh way. They may be called "minor" prophets because their messages are short, but there are major lessons to be learned through these books. The newest series is on the book of Joel and it is a 5-day reading plan through this book where we learn about repentance, restoration, judgment, the day of the Lord, and how God used an army of locust. 🦗

If you're interested in joining this study you can click the link below and sign up.👇🏻

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​ Natalia Drumm is a wife, homeschooling mother to three boys, and graduate from Dallas Theological Seminary with a passion for women's ministry and sharing the Gospel. Seeking to glorify God through equipping women to study Scripture and grow in their faith, she is the creator of Girlfriends in the Word™ Bible studies for busy women. To learn more, or connect with her online you can find her on Instagram @nataliadrumm or check out her website www.nataliadrumm.com​

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