The Anchor Holds in Spite of the Storm

We sure have all had to go through some stormy moments in our lives before. I have and I know what it feels like. There is, however, this song by Ray Boltz that I love so much and I want to share with you the wordings of the chorus:

The anchor holds

Though the ship is battered

The anchor holdsThough the sails are torn

I have fallen on my knees

As I faced the raging seas

The anchor holds

In spite of the storm

Now, an anchor is a device that holds a ship from moving. It is used to attach a ship to the bottom of a body of water at a specific point. The anchor could be a permanent or a temporary one. A permanent anchor is rarely moved. Vessels carry one or more temporary anchors on voyages. The anchor prevents a ship from drifting away due to the water currents or tide.

In my search for a deeper understanding of how an anchor works I discovered that the anchor itself does not act as the main weight to "secure" the ship in its position. The vessel is actually attached to the anchor by a chain or cable. On an anchoring run, the ship would lay the anchor together with a length of its iron cables on the seabed. The length to be released would depend on factors such as the depth of the water etc. So it is not the weight of the anchor, but the weight of the huge iron cables connected to the anchor that "secures" the ship. The anchor's weight does play a role, but it is mainly used to grip or hook the iron cables to the seabed. A ship properly anchored would be held to a circular area, the radius defined by the length of the cable released.

I guess that explains how an anchor works. Let’s take a look now, at how it applies to our faith. The Anchor of a Christian is Christ. Hebrews 6:19-20. The Anchor of our souls, Jesus is unmovable and cannot be broken. Our faith, the fruit of the Spirit and the gifts of the Holy Spirit are the cables that attach our lives (the vessels) to the Anchor (Jesus).

The storms of life can be anything, any circumstance, any trouble, trials or unpleasant situations we find ourselves in. The weight of the Anchor, God’s words and His name, remain constant and dependable, but how strong are the cables attaching our vessels to the Anchor? How is your daily walk with God? What is the place of the Holy Spirit in your life? When the storms arise, will the cables be long and strong enough to hold your vessel attached to the Anchor? The ship might be battered, the cables might get worn but the Anchor holds. Just fall on your knees as you face the raging seas and the storms of life.

Remember the Anchor holds in spite of the storm. When there is a gap between you and God, you can be sure who moved. You did!