Will Your Faith Anchor Hold Fast?
Good Morning Friends,
Here in Southwest Florida, themes of the sea abound. Even some churches are named in a way that plays on the imagery of life and water. Chapel by the Sea, Trinity by the Cove and the Moorings are all places of worship here on the Gulf Coast of Florida that paint a rather tranquil picture of palm trees and gentle sea breezes. But the Bible has images of the sea as well and most of them are of a much more troubled world. You know the stories of Noah and the flood, of Jonah, of storms on the Sea of Galilee and of Paul’s shipwreck. Perhaps your life is more like a ship tossed and battered by the waves of life than a boat at dock in a safe harbor. At some point we all have sailed on life’s troubled seas, not knowing exactly where we were going. The uncertainty of the world would suggest that we have stormy weather ahead. Like sailing on the southern seas where no land stops the waves, we will have high seas. And I hope that in these deep waters we will discover that we are not in this storm alone. We will discover that we sail in this ship together even now. Certainly we will be driven by the sea waves. But for those with Jesus at the helm, even though the ship is battered and the sails are torn we will have hope of not drifting away. Will Your Faith Anchor Hold Fast?
Scripture: When God made a promise to Abraham, because he had no one greater by whom to swear, he swore by himself, saying, ‘I will surely bless you and multiply you.’ And thus Abraham, having patiently endured, obtained the promise. Human beings, of course, swear by someone greater than themselves, and an oath given as confirmation puts an end to all dispute. In the same way, when God desired to show even more clearly to the heirs of the promise the unchangeable character of his purpose, he guaranteed it by an oath, so that through two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible that God would prove false, we who have taken refuge might be strongly encouraged to seize the hope set before us. We have this hope, a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters the inner shrine behind the curtain, where Jesus, a forerunner on our behalf, has entered, having become a high priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.
Hebrews 6:13-20 (NRSV)
Our steps are made firm by the Lord, when he delights in our way; though we stumble, we shall not fall headlong, for the Lord holds us by the hand. I have been young, and now am old, yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken or their children begging bread. They are ever giving liberally and lending, and their children become a blessing. Depart from evil, and do good; so you shall abide forever. For the Lord loves justice; he will not forsake his faithful ones. The righteous shall be kept safe for ever, but the children of the wicked shall be cut off. The righteous shall inherit the land, and live in it forever. The mouths of the righteous utter wisdom, and their tongues speak justice. The law of their God is in their hearts; their steps do not slip. The wicked watch for the righteous, and seek to kill them. The Lord will not abandon them to their power, or let them be condemned when they are brought to trial. Wait for the Lord, and keep to his way, and he will exalt you to inherit the land; you will look on the destruction of the wicked. I have seen the wicked oppressing, and towering like a cedar of Lebanon. Again I passed by, and they were no more; though I sought them, they could not be found. Mark the blameless, and behold the upright, for there is posterity for the peaceable. But transgressors shall be altogether destroyed; the posterity of the wicked shall be cut off. The salvation of the righteous is from the Lord; he is their refuge in the time of trouble. The Lord helps them and rescues them; he rescues them from the wicked, and saves them, because they take refuge in him.
Psalm 37:23-40 (NRSV)
Message: There is a time to set sail and a time to anchor. To reach the port of heaven we must do both. We must have an anchor for our souls and a tiller captained by our Lord Jesus.
And in times of trouble we are to turn to Jesus to guide us. Many people are drifting through life without a purpose and having no clue where they are going. The less they trust God, the more they struggle. As for me, and as a preparation even during good times I often will turn to the Bible and the lectionary readings for the day knowing that people around the world are reading and teaching from the very words of scripture I am reading. And so it is with today’s scripture from Hebrews and the Psalms. And in today’s scripture I imagine myself sailing home with Jesus at the helm. Friends, have faith because Jesus never lost His way. In times of storms imagine yourself anchored to Heaven’s Throne… fastened to the Rock of Ages…the stable hope of an immutable God with the Character, Hope, Attitude, Responsiveness and Truth that CHARTS our life on the right course. Here in life’s storms we can take hold of hope. We can hold on with confidence and then set sail, in His time, for new shores. Friends, Jesus is the anchor for every believer, the Captain of every ship of hope. Know He will not fail to bring us to our new home. Know that on land we need a MAP of motivation, attitude and a plan and on the sea we need a CHART but wherever we are we need Jesus. With that in mind, read with me the scripture that millions of others are reading and get to know Jesus better. Know you are not alone.
Pray we have an anchor for our souls. Pray that though our faith is small, God’s strength will be enough to sustain us. Pray we do not drift too far from where God wants us to be. Pray we have hope and purpose. Pray we not give up. Pray we see the lights on the other shore and set sail trusting in God. Pray we realize that we too are heirs to the promise. Pray we join with others in worship and in the Word.
Blessings,
John Lawson
Daily Devotionals 