From the writings of the Rev. Billy Graham

The more knowledge we acquire, the less wisdom we seem to have. The more economic security we gain, the more boredom we generate. The more worldly pleasure we enjoy, the less satisfied and contented we are with life. We are like a restless sea, finding a little peace here and a little pleasure there, but nothing permanent and satisfying. So the search continues! Men will kill, lie, cheat, and steal to satisfy their quest for power, pleasure, and wealth in hopes to gain peace, security, and happiness.

Yet inside us a little voice keeps saying, “We were not meant to be this way—we were meant for better things.” We have a mysterious feeling that there is a fountain somewhere that contains the happiness that makes life worthwhile. We keep saying to ourselves that somewhere, sometime we will stumble onto the secret. Sometimes we feel that we have obtained it, only to find it elusive—leaving us disillusioned, bewildered, and unhappy.

The happiness that brings enduring worth to life is not the superficial happiness that is dependent on circumstances. It’s contentment that fills the soul even in the midst of the most distressing of circumstances and the most adverse environment. The only source of peace and contentment is in the Lord Jesus, just as the Bible says: “For with You [O Lord] is the fountain of life; in Your light we see light” (Psalm 36:9).

People need not live with a spirit of doom; Jesus provides the only ray of hope that shines as an ever-brightening beam in a darkened world.

(This column is based on the words and writings of the late Rev. Billy Graham.)

Find a hope that doesn’t fade away. Know Jesus today.