Do you believe that rest is for today? I think that many of us, when we think about rest and peace, contemplate death and Heaven. However, I want to tell you that you can be a tranquil person right here, right now! Even if you’re working hard preparing the Thanksgiving turkey or getting your house ready for company, there is rest for your soul.  And if you’re struggling through a storm, you can have peace of mind, and grow smarter, sharper and closer to your friends and family in the midst of it — the key is knowing that you will get through!

I want to contend today that it’s the storms of life that will get you to a place of tranquility. The more you endure with God, the more faith and confidence you develop that He will get you to the other side of it. His faithfulness is displayed most effectively in a tempest, because it’s then that His stability is both greatly needed and more powerfully experienced. Just as the stabilizers on a ship don’t make a difference to its passengers until the waters roll, so it is with the peace that Jesus brings to our lives. Until the storms are raging, we don’t appreciate the tranquility and stability He imparts; the more He sees us safely through, the more confidence we have in His faithful deliverance!

Friend, on this Thanksgiving Day, I invite you to pause and take hold of the peace of God, even in the midst of your storm. No matter what you are enduring today, whether the busyness of the holiday season, the loneliness of death and loss, or the stress of strained family relationships, know that your heart, mind and spirit can be at rest. Because you know that Jesus will always get you to the other side of your trial, you can be a peaceful person who truly gives thanks in all circumstances! Isn’t that wonderful news?