Change is stressful. Our country is torn apart and the world seems turned upside down. The Bible is balm for our hearts in these troubled times. One book in particular shows us how to think as we adjust. It is the book of Ecclesiastes. Here are some verses that will give us peace of mind.

No matter what happens, it has happened before. “What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun.” (Ecc. 1:9).

Situations come and go. Whether good or bad, our days go through cycles. “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven: a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot, a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build, a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance, a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them, a time to embrace and a time to refrain, a time to search and a time to give up, a time to keep and a time to throw away, a time to tear and a time to mend, a time to be silent and a time to speak, a time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace” (Ecc. 3:1-8).

Since we will have good days and bad days, we should enjoy the good days and ponder the bad times. “When times are good, be happy, but when times are bad, consider: God has made the one as well as the other. Therefore man cannot discover anything about his future” (Ecc. 7:14).

Our lives are in the hands of God. “So I reflected on all this and concluded that the righteous and the wise and what they do are in God’s hands, but no man knows whether love or hate awaits him.” (Ecc. 9:1).

Things can change quickly and drastically. “There is an evil I have seen under the sun, the sort of error that arises from a ruler: fools are put in many high positions, while the rich occupy the low ones. I have seen slaves on horseback, while princes go on foot like slaves” (Ecc. 10:5-7).

In a world of change, our main goal should stay the same. “Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep His commandments for this is the whole duty of man. For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil.” (Ecc. 12:13-14).