Will Our Anchor Hold Against the Storms of Life? (2)
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Straight to the Cross
COLUMN: Square One
Will Our Anchor Hold Against the Storms of Life? (2)
by Richard Mansel
by Richard Mansel
Priscilla J. Owens wrote the lyrics for "We Have
an Anchor" in 1882./1 We can learn many lessons
from this hymn.
The second stanza reads:
"It is safely moored, 'twill the storm withstand,
For 'tis well secured by the Savior's hand;
And the cables, passed from his heart to mine,
Can defy the blast, through strength divine."/2
When God is our anchor, we are firm against the
crashing waves. John Steinbeck tells of anchoring
his boat off the coast of Maine against a
hurricane in his book, Travels with Charley.
Helplessly, he watched his boat being beaten and
battered. However, when the storm ceased, only his
boat remained unscathed.
Securing ourselves to the Rock will allow us to
persevere. David flees from his son Absalom who
plans an overthrow of the throne (Psalm 61:1-4).
"Our Father is not hardened against the cries of
his children. What a consoling thought it is that
the Lord at all times hears his people's cries,
and is never forgetful of their prayers; whatever
else fails to move him, praying breath is never
spent in vain!"/3
We seek refuge in the rock that is higher than we
are. When we are "well-secured by the Savior's
hand," we are in the enviable position that very
few seek. The rest flail around pursuing other
anchors, only to persevere in failure.
The job of fighting Satan is too arduous for man.
The rock is insurmountable for our strength and
wisdom. We require the arms and grace of God to
lay anchor in the churning waters. And when the
cables hold, we must remember that God also
protects us from our enemies (Hebrews 13:6).
The third stanza reads:
"It will firmly hold in the straits of fear,
When the breakers have told the reef is near;
Tho' the tempests rage and the wild winds blow,
Not an angry wave shall our bark o'erflow."/4
"For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of
power and of love and of a sound mind" (2 Timothy
1:7, NKJV). We have faith in him as an anchor that
can withstand any force. Complete faith in Christ
will keep us safe in his arms (2 Timothy 1:12;
Mark 11:24).
God promises he will always be with us, no matter
what faces us (Hebrews 13:5; 1 John 4:18).
"Serenity is not freedom from the storm, but peace
amid the storm."/5
This does not mean that we cannot be apprehensive
about death. The unknown nature of death brings a
natural fear. We are nervous about meeting
something so momentous and final when we know so
little of what will happen.
The fear is that there are no answers, that God
will not hear our cries nor be at our side.
Christians have no need of these doubts. Scripture
assures us that God will deliver on his promises
(Titus 1:2; John 14:1-6).
Courage is being in the arms of God. The apostles
were experienced seamen and yet found themselves
in a storm that threatened to end their lives.
"And a great windstorm arose, and the waves beat
into the boat, so that it was already filling"
(Mark 4:37). Jesus slept through this upheaval
and when awakened, spoke and stilled the winds and
waves saying, "Peace, be still" (Mark 4:39).
When the storms assail us daily, the waves are
lapping into the boat and all seems lost, Christ
is unaffected by the chaos. His mind is clear and
he is able to handle the situation, if we will
absolutely trust him.
1/ tinyurl.com/ytwhj32/ Ibid.
2/ Ibid.
3/ grace-for-today.com/chstp61.htm
4/ tinyurl.com/ytwhj32/ Ibid.
5/ tinyurl.com/227llo
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