My head is hanging. There is no arguing the fact: I am discouraged. So many people are hurting because of the poor economy, and some are even contemplating suicide. Rumours from the Middle East bring absolutely no good tidings whatsoever. Twenty-nine believers were killed by a bomb detonating at the Alexandria Coptic Church, and Christians are being decimated all across Iraq.

Where is our world heading? So much pain! So much suffering! Is there really a light at the end of the tunnel?

This is when I am reminded of the Bay of Fundy in New Brunswick and Nova Scotia. Yes, when the tide is at its lowest, it, too, cripples businesses, for literally thousands of boats find themselves on dry land! It’s at these times that we can truly become desperate and hopeless.

Six hours and 13 minutes later, however, the boats find themselves back in the seawater as incoming tides can raise boats up to 53 feet (16 metres). They are back in business. They are back to the heights of the ocean.

The high tide will always come back! Of that we can be certain! And God promises us something even more powerful: “Weeping may remain for a night, but rejoicing comes in the morning.” (Ps 30:5 NIV)

As long as we live on this planet, we WILL experience trouble (See John 16:33), and at times we will literally be weeping with despair. But just like the high tide in the Bay of Fundy, rejoicing will always return. Even for those who face terminal diseases, their time for rejoicing will be for eternity!

“I am going there to prepare a place for you.” (John 14:2 NIV).

“There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” (Rev 21:4 NIV)

Although we might be in the midst of trouble, we are assured that we will have a bright future. With such promises from God Himself, I can’t help but rejoice even amidst my gloomiest storm. Words of thankful praise flow from my mouth: “But I trust in you, O Lord; I say, ‘You are my God.'” (Ps 31:14 NIV)

Instead of mourning, we should be rejoicing! Instead of being discouraged we should be thanking God in song! He will take care of us!

“The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and I am helped. My heart leaps for joy and I will give thanks to him in song.” (Ps 28:7 NIV)

It’s so easy to praise Him when we are floating comfortably at high tide, but faith will make us sing praises at low tide as well, for His love surrounds us all the time!

“Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (Eph 5:19-20 NIV)

The apostle Paul urges us to “always give thanks to God the Father for everything”. This means we should be grateful to Him for the low tides as well as the high tides. There is so much we can learn from Him when we are hopeless! And if we have even an inkling of who He truly is, then we can eagerly anticipate the high tide that He has promised us.

If not, we may find ourselves in utter misery at the center of a high tide in a worse scenario than we’ve ever experienced, with no boat, no buoy and far from shore!

But for me and my house, we will praise God ‘always giving thanks to God the Father for everything”. He knows what is best for me and I trust Him.

Rob Chaffart

(To access the entire “The Heart of the Matter” devotional series, please click here.)