Daniel 4:27
“Wherefore, O king, let my counsel be acceptable unto thee, and break off thy sins by righteousness, and thine iniquities by shewing mercy to the poor; if it may be a lengthening of thy tranquillity.”
It is no secret that we live in a very troubled world. When you take an honest look at our present-day society, you see a society that is filled with depression, drug addiction, suicide and anger. In an attempt to find tranquility for a very troubled life, many have run to prescription drugs, vices and psychological counseling.
Sadly, society has missed the answer to finding tranquility in a troubled world. Instead of running to vices which only give a temporary reprieve that makes the problems worse once their effects have worn off, we should run to the Word of God that gives the answer on how to find tranquility in a world of trouble. The verse above gives the answer to finding tranquility.
Getting rid of sin is the first step towards finding tranquillity. You will always find that sin is at the core of the chaotic and turbulent problems that people face. Sin is what causes the problems in life. The reason vices and psychological counseling will not give tranquility is because they don't remove sin. Sin is the problem. Sin is what causes inner turmoil. Sin is what silences peace. Sin is what brings depression. You will never find tranquility in this troubled world until you remove the sin that causes the unrest.
Second, you remove sin through righteousness. One of the reasons people fail to find tranquility is because they get rid of the wrong, but they don't replace the void with doing right. Of course, it is good to get rid of whatever caused the inner turmoil in one’s life, but the problem is that leaves a void that needs to be filled. If that void is not filled with righteousness, it will be filled again with the problem that caused the inner unrest. You will never find the tranquility you are searching for in life without doing right. Righteous acts give satisfaction and peace to the soul. When you do right, you will feel right with God and yourself.
Helping others is the third step to finding tranquility. The verse above says, “…by shewing mercy to the poor…” One of the reasons a person suffers from inner turmoil is because they are dwelling on themselves. You will never find tranquility in life when you are focused on yourself. Selfishness is what causes you to feel that others are always mistreating you, which creates inner turmoil. If you will get your eyes off yourself and start trying to help others, you will find the noise of turmoil will be silenced with an inner peace.
Fourth, keep your eyes on God. God is the constant thread found throughout this whole recipe for tranquility. You will never find the tranquility and peace you are looking for in life without being right with your Creator. You will never find tranquility in this troubled world without being right with the Prince of Peace. The reason you forsake your sins is to make sure your fellowship is right with God. The reason you do right is to please the Prince of Peace. You can try to find tranquility without God, but you will fail because He is the master key to opening the door to inner peace. If you will take your eyes off yourself, stop seeking worldly pleasures, and place your eyes on God, you will find the tranquility for which you are searching in this tumultuous world.