"What a Revoltin' Development This Is!"

John 14:27

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.

"What a revoltin' development this is!" was the frequent line of indignation spoken by Chester A. Riley, the blundering lead man in the the early tv show, The Life of Riley.  The line became one of the most famous catchphrases in American culture.  It was so easy for the average American in the 40's and the 50's to relate to Chester's futile attempts to live the ideal life of leisure and good fortune. 

Push ahead 60+ years and we find that we have many of the advancements that Chester was dreaming about and possess even more remarkable discoveries than he could dream up.  But with all the new changes and subsequent benefits, nothing has really changed.  We continue to seek to live the "life of Riley" just like Chester and we continue to experience the futility of it all as we foolishly put all of our trust in ourselves and the promises of the world. 

Unlike Chester who was forever bound in futility with no method of escape, we can live lives of complete contentment.  This gift was set aside for us in the last will and testament of Jesus Christ spoken to His disciples before He left them on this earth.  He promised us peace.  He promised us hearts free of trouble and fear.  And He reminded us it is through Him and not through the world that all of this is available to us.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, we thank You for giving us peace of mind that is beyond all human understanding.  We rejoice in knowing that we can escape all the futility of this world by surrendering our lives to Your Son, Jesus.  We pray that Your Holy Spirit will teach us to lean on Your ways and not our own.  May we rest on the strength of our faith in You in every circumstance in our lives.