Sitting here in the quiet of late evening, I am listening to one of Beethoven's most beautiful sonatas, and I feel very peaceful. I can almost see one of the gentle mountain streams of my youth sparkling in the silver moonlight. Isn't it wonderful when all our surroundings gently caress us into a mellow quietness? One is almost called on to softly repeat the old saying, "God's in His heaven, all's right with the world."
Yet times like this can hardly be viewed as tests of the strength and nature of our Christian character. Let the lightning crash, the thunder roll, and torrents of the storm wash at the very foundations of the house. Hear the roar of traffic, the noisy clamber of the city, and feel the jostling of the rushing crowd. Face the bleakness of an empty wallet, the helplessness of joblessness, and the gnawing hunger of too many missed meals. Then, and perhaps only then, can one know just how truly comforting true faith can be.
To find peace in the midst of tumult, joy in the face of oppression, and hope when the night seems darkest, well that is the proof that God is not only in His heaven, but more importantly, He also dwells in the heart of the humble, the contrite and the downtrodden and outcast. Now there is the nature of the God I need!
I don't just need that God Who quietly gazes down on my serenity, but I also need the God Who stands boldly between me and the terrors of the night and rescues me from a thousand devils in pursuit — the One Who may be disappointed when I fail to walk on the raging sea, but always reaches down a gentle hand to lift me up.
Do not worry about anything, but pray and ask God for everything you need, always giving thanks. And God's peace, which is so great we cannot understand it will keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:6-7 NCV).
