The Old Testament reveals God the Father in contrasting ways.

Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. – John 14:1

The Old Testament reveals God the Father in contrasting ways. He’s the One who created Adam and Eve, yet He banished them from the garden, He’s the One that rescued the Israelites from the Egyptians, yet had them wander around in the desert for forty years. He’s the One who saved Noah in the ark, yet killed everyone else in a flood. He’s described as loving and merciful, yet holy and strict against sin. Obviously, human comfort isn’t God’s first priority. His priority is a loving relationship with His people, yet He is holy and the human sin nature gets in the way.

The New Testament reveals God the Father through the life of His Son. Jesus went around healing people of their diseases, delivering them from demons, and teaching them about the Kingdom of God. Ultimately, He paid the price for sin by dying on the cross. He satisfied the Holy One’s requirement for sin to be punished and made a way for people to have a loving relationship with their Creator. Picture the cross as the intersection of holiness and love.

Jesus is the picture of who God is. “He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature” (Hebrews 1:3). Today’s verse says, “Let not your hearts be troubled.” No matter what the circumstance, you can have peace in your mind and emotions.