It’s interesting how much we can learn about the Lord, his faithfulness, and the practicality of Scripture if we just open our eyes to see the examples placed before us in daily life.
The last couple of days the little harbor we see from our balcony filled with boats. Not the regular fishing boats and water taxis that we have seen each day since our arrival but bigger boats – catamarans, yachts, monohull sailboats. Bigger boats ranging in size from 50′ to 130′.
The weather forecast was for a severe thunderstorm warning, and this is what brought the boats in to a safe harbor. There aren’t nearly enough slips to tie all of them up to the docks, so they were anchoring safely across the relatively small span of sea.
One boat in particular hadn’t anchored well.
We watched as it slowly drifted, getting closer and closer to the shore. It was dangerously close to the rough shoreline. The drifting was subtle and since they were otherwise engaged, I doubt the occupants of the boat noticed they were inching closer and closer to the shore.
Bible lesson in moving pictures, literally.
“We have run to God for safety. Now his promises should greatly encourage us to take hold of the hope that is right in front of us. 19 This hope is like a firm and steady anchor for our souls. In fact, hope reaches behind the curtain and into the most holy place.” Hebrews 6:18b-19 CEV
Our lives need to be anchored to keep us from drifting off course, even when the seas are calm there is still a danger of slowly drifting into dangerous waters.
Dave had a nice boat when we first married and he told me the secret to setting a firm anchorage is to drop the anchor, then apply backward thrust so the anchor digs into the bottom or gets a solid grab on something. He explained to me that this boat we were watching hadn’t set its anchor properly.
Sometimes, it seems we may be going backward in life however, it may be that during those times the Lord is actually bringing us to a place of stability and safety, helping us set our anchor. Pulling us back from dangerous shorelines so that we are established firmly on the rock.
“Anyone who hears and obeys these teachings of mine is like a wise person who built a house on solid rock. 25 Rain poured down, rivers flooded, and winds beat against that house. But it was built on solid rock, and so it did not fall.” Matthew 7:24-25 CEV
God’s word is referred to as a solid rock; our hope in God’s word is our anchor!
So, when life’s storms seem imminent it’s best that we pull back and get anchored firmly to the rock that will not move!