In his letter to the Philippians, Paul wrote:

Rejoice in the Lord always: again I will say, Rejoice. Let your gentleness be known to everyone. The Lord is near. Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Finally my brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is lovely, whatever is gracious, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. What you have learned are received and heard and seen in me, do; and the God of Peace will be with you. –Philippians 4:4-9

We cannot control many of the forces in our lives, but we need to trust that God is there for us and will help get us through the difficult times. There is a saying, “God promises a safe landing, not a calm passage.” Life has its ups and downs, and during the “down” times, we must listen and watch for His presence in our lives. Believe me, He is there! I know because of the many times when I needed Him, He was there and guided me through the difficulties and questions in my life.

Our business is to always pay attention to what is right and what is good, and follow the Lord’s teachings. Life will not always be easy, but we can have peace, if we leave our worries to God and trust in Him to guide us.

Will you love the “you” you hide if I but call your name?
Will you quell the fear inside and never be the same?
Will you use the faith you’ve found to reshape the world around,
Through my sight and touch and sound in you and you in me? –ELW 798, Verse 4