Peace In The Present and Faith For The Future Because The Anchor Holds

My Utmost For His Highest

 

Jesus answered and said, "You do not know what you ask." —Matthew 20:22

 

“There are times in your spiritual life when there is confusion, and the way out of it is not simply to say that you should not be confused. It is not a matter of right and wrong, but a matter of God taking you through a way that you temporarily do not understand. And it is only by going through the spiritual confusion that you will come to the understanding of what God wants for you. […] You will think that He is an unkind friend, but remember— He is not. The time will come when everything will be explained. There seems to be a cloud on the friendship of the heart, and often even love itself has to wait in pain and tears for the blessing of fuller fellowship and oneness. When God appears to be completely shrouded, will you hang on with confidence in Him?[…]  Jesus said that there are times when your Father will appear as if He were an unnatural father— as if He were callous and indifferent— but remember, He is not. […] Stand firm in faith, believing that what Jesus said is true, although in the meantime you do not understand what God is doing.” CHAMBERS

 

We think that we understand God and His ways until we encounter something that is contrary to our understanding.  A life event, perhaps a loss, and we ask “How could God let this happen – to me?” When life happens to us or to those we care about, do we look through the prism of our natural life and question God’s love or perhaps truthfulness?  This life on earth is a mystery.  As a Christian, I am watching the course of human events swirl around me.  Some threaten to unhinge what I thought to be right and good in our country.  Some have disrupted the very fabric our my family, the lives of my children and their children.  And I might ask, “Where is God?”  “Could not He have prevented this from happening?”  Yet, I know in my heart that He is near.  He has set eternity right through His Son.  I live in a fallen world, as does my family. 

 

We are subject to the seemingly random events – good and bad – that we call life.  But all of that is within the sovereignty of the Creator God.  I know that (Romans 8:28) “God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.”  Even though it doesn’t feel that way sometimes.  This natural life is really all we focus on from day to day.  But we, who are born again, we have such a glorious future. Friends, in spit of what life may bring your way, good or bad, we can have peace in the present and faith for the future.  (Philippians 3:13-15) “Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”  ELGIN

 

The Anchor Holds  -- Ray Boltz, Arthur Jackson

 

I have journeyed through the long dark night, Out on the open sea, by faith alone,

Sight unknown; and yet his eyes were watching me.

 

I've had visions, I've had dreams; I've even held them in my hand.

But I never knew they would slip right through, Like they were only grains of sand.

 

I have been young but I'm older now. And there has been beauty these eyes have seen.

But it was in the night, through the storms of my life, Oh, that's where God proved His love for me.

 

The anchor holds, Though the ships been battered.

The anchor holds, Though the sails are torn.

I have fallen on my knees as I face the raging seas.

The anchor holds in spite of the storm.