There is an ebb, flow to life

Norman Vincent Peale used to tell the story of a struggling businessman who reached a turning point in life after seeing a picture of a boat stuck in the sand. The caption said: The Tide Always Comes Back.

We often make two common mistakes:

• When things are good, we think everything will always be good.

• When things are bad, we think everything will always be bad.

Both are wrong.

Life, and all it entails — your marriage and your work, your relationships and health and finances, your approval rating among those you serve and the success of each new endeavor — tends to cycle from peak to valley. As the old hymn says, ” … there is an ebb and flow to life.”

You can count one constant in all of this: God’s faithfulness. Your ability to survive the ebb comes down to your willingness to trust in his goodness, even when all you see is sand.

Today, whether your tide is in or out, lean on the faithfulness of God. Focus on his presence and remember his promise. It will keep you singing as you go.

Be thankful for his goodness; be thankful for his mercy. For your unfailing love is as high as the heavens. Your faithfulness reaches to the clouds. (Psalm 57:10)