One day as Gale and I were about to pull off the street and into the church parking lot, I got a glimpse of what I thought was a boat on a trailer moving along unattached to the truck in front of it.  As I got closer I realized that the boat was sitting still in the travel lane of the street as the truck in front of it hurried on down the road.  Being concerned that it would cause an accident, I called the local authorities, but before our conversation was completed, the truck came rushing back, hitched up to the boat and drove away.

There did not seem to be any damage to the boat, the truck or any other property or people, so it appeared that that incident turned out alright–although it must have brought a few tough moments for that truck driver when he realized that his boat was gone!

It reminded me of several tough moments that I had a few years ago on a fishing trip with one of the men of the church.  We arrived at the lake with much anticipation of a good catch of catfish. 

Once the boat was in the water, it became quickly apparent that neither of us had put the drain plug in and the boat started to take on water rapidly!

After that was corrected, we continued our fishing trip only to encounter more tough moments.  I hung a huge catfish that broke my line before he could be landed, and then another swift and strong fish pulled a high-dollar rod and reel overboard, never to be seen by us again.

Looking back, none of those several things are important now; they are, in fact, humorous.  But at the time none of them were funny.

Life is full of tough moments.  Some of them are significant and life changing while others are little more than inconveniences, but at the time they are happening to a person, all of them are tough on that individual.

It was a really stressful moment when Christ, preparing His disciples for His death on the cross, said to them, “My children, I will be with you only a little longer.  You will look for Me, and just as I told the Jews, so I tell you now:  Where I am going, you cannot come” (John 13:33, New International Version).

That was a statement that must have nearly knocked them off their feet, but He did not leave them without hope.  Take note of the hope He offered them:  “Do not let your hearts be troubled.  Trust in God; trust also in Me”  (John 14:1).  One writer suggests that another way to convey what Christ was saying is, “Stop being troubled.  Set your heart at ease.”

It is tough when you lose a boat in the road or sink it in the lake, but to learn that something has occurred or is about to that will forever impact your life can seem as though you have been knocked off your feet.  Perhaps you have already been there.  May I remind you that you can take comfort, because there is hope through trusting in God.  His word to you is the same as it was to those to whom His words were originally spoken:  “Do not let your hearts be troubled.  Trust in God; trust also in Me.”

Because of His love for you, He provides hope that directs you to “Stop being troubled.  Set your heart at ease.”