Ecclesiastes 4:6
Better one handful with tranquility than two handfuls with toil and chasing after the wind.
Recently we witnessed the devastating force of hurricane Isaac that left thousands homeless and facing an uncertain future. It is possible that many will never be able to return to their homes. Do you feel as if you are being churned in the middle of a storm? What will it take to bring peace and tranquility to your heart?
Every time I am tempted to feel that I am enduring too much turmoil in my life, I stop and consider the apostle Paul. What did he endure for the sake of the Gospel? He was lashed, beaten with rods, stoned three times, ship wrecked, adrift on the open sea, and constantly on the move. Not an easy life was it?
These are only a few of the things Paul endured. He had a thorn in the flesh that God allowed him to experience in order to teach him total dependence. He endured all of these things with a joy that can only come from the Lord. Tranquility is not that the storms will always be calm, but that we will find peace in the middle of the storms.
We all need to find tranquility in the most violent of storms. It is not what we have done or must do—it is what Christ has already done for us. Rather than seeking more and more of the “things” of life, we must seek more and more of the Lord. The answer to tranquility is always the same—Jesus!
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
—Pastor Cecil