Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand. Isaiah 41:10

Have you ever heard a piece of music so beautiful that it transcended whatever chaos, stress, or pain you were feeling? 

The life of one of the most famous musicians of all time was hard and relentlessly discouraging. Ludwig von Beethoven was gifted at writing beautiful, complex music but he did so while facing financial problems, political turmoil, war, and while he was losing his hearing. In fact, one of his most famous works, the “Choral Symphony,” was written when he was completely deaf—a powerful testament to the beauty of resilience amid challenges. 

Even when surrounded by the volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity of this world, God wants to bring you unshakeable peace that touches the lives of everyone around you. God says to you, personally, “Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand” (Isaiah 41:10).

To thrive in a volatile world, we must cultivate thoughts of hope that root us in what the Bible says are God’s plans for our lives. When our thoughts and actions are aligned with God’s Word, we are not controlled by changing circumstances. By reading the Bible every day and meditating on God’s promises in verses like Isaiah 41:10, we can become more resilient– filled with peace even when the world is trembling. And like Beethoven, your life can ring with a beautiful, calming song of hope.

For a free Bible study on Living a Life of Peace in Troubled Times go to guidelines.org/peace. To hear this again, read or share this, visit guidelines.org.