Weathering the Storms of Life A Six-Part Series

Part Two

 

Establishing the Word of God as Your Anchor

By Michael K. Farrar, O.D.

© God’s Breath Publications

 

Anchors are very important to have in life. They hold you fast so you are not swept away by violent storms. They also restrain you from taking things into your own hands, which can lead to additional trauma and heartache.

 

If you buy an anchor for a boat you want one that will be of the highest and most reliable quality so that you will feel safe and secure. The same is true of the anchor you would need when dealing with the struggles and trials of life. There is no better anchor for the storms of life than the Word of God.

 

During an intense trial our thoughts and judgments can mislead us. We can be ruled by our emotions and make bad decisions. We can be influenced by what is happening to us and be steered down paths that lead to further trauma. Proverbs 3:5-6 gives wise advice in this area. It says, “Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.”

 

Romans 15:4 gives us one of the reasons the Word of God should be our anchor. It reveals to us that God uses scripture to teach us how to endure our storms.

 

Romans 15:4

“For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.”

 

The Bible encourages us in the midst of our struggles so that we can have hope that we will emerge a survivor. When we are hurting emotionally, psychologically or physically, we need hope that an end will come to our suffering and that God is concerned about our situation. Holy Scripture can communicate these truths to you as you study and meditate upon it. God will speak to you through His Word in amazing ways to anchor your life and hold you fast.

 

When the storms of life crash down upon you there are many emotional reactions that take place within you. It is very important that you seek God’s Word for wisdom, comfort, instruction and balance as you deal with these emotions. Scripture has a unique and effective way of helping you think clearly and acting properly. Hebrews 4:12 states, “For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.” In other words if you are truly honest with yourself as you read and study the Word, God will use it to help you judge the thoughts and attitudes behind your most intimate inclinations.

 

While God is not physically present in your life during times of trials, He can speak through His Word and address every aspect of what you are going through. His presence and influence can be felt as you read, meditate and obey His Word. God in essence, reveals His love, guidance, grace, compassion and encouragement as you let the Word minister to you. This is why the Bible is your steadfast anchor for stability in times of trouble.

 

During the horrible storms of life you will experience one or more of the following emotions; anger, sorrow, hatred, grief, pain, anxiety, desires of seeking revenge, fear, emotional numbness and hopelessness. I don’t have space to address all of these reactions, but I would like to share a few scripture verses from the anchor of God’s Word that might give you insight into how the Bible can speak to some of these emotions that rise up during a time of struggle.

 

Anger and Thoughts of Seeking Revenge

 

When bad things are done to us we usually become angry and often we are tempted to seek revenge. Below are some verses that speak to the emotion of anger and the temptation to seek revenge according to our own standards and desires.

 

Psalms 37:8

“Refrain from anger and turn from wrath; do not fret — it leads only to evil.”

 

Proverbs 30:33

“For as churning the milk produces butter, and as twisting the nose produces blood, so stirring up anger produces strife.”

 

Ecclesiastes 7:9

“Do not be quickly provoked in your spirit, for anger resides in the lap of fools.”

 

1 Timothy 2:8

“I want men everywhere to lift up holy hands in prayer, without anger or disputing.”

 

Romans 12:19-20

“Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: ‘It is mine to avenge; I will repay,’ says the Lord.”

 

As you can see from these verses, the Bible can help you deal with destructive emotions and influence your actions. Only evil can result from unbridled anger directed at others who have hurt you. If we seek revenge we will not only cause strife in the life of others, we will increase any strife we are experiencing as well. Anger hinders our worship and praise of God and affects our relationship with Him. The last thing we need in the midst of a storm is to hinder our relationship with God. As the Romans passage tells us, we need to let God have His way in the situation. Leave it up to Him to avenge and make right the situation. Don’t take action that is really God’s responsibility. Yes, we need to protect ourselves from further injury and we need to take legal action in some cases to assure our security. We also need to confront those that are hurting us at times as well. But we should not seek revenge from an angry heart full of hatred.

 

Anxiety and Fear

 

Other emotions we experience during a violent storm of life are feelings of anxiety and fear. We are sometimes so shaken by what has happened to us or what is taking place in our life that it feels like anxiety is overwhelming our lives. Like a vicious predatory creature it crawls up the back of our legs, across our back and into our heart, mind and soul. Anxiety can be tenacious and vicious as it eats away at what little hope we may have. Fear can also take a grip on our life with jaws so strong that we can’t think properly or make even the simplest of decisions. Anxiety and fear are the scavengers of healthy emotions during a storm of life. Again, this is why it is so critical that we turn to the scriptures when these emotions begin to attempt to control our life.

 

Psalms 37:1, 5

“‘Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him and he will do this:”

 

Psalms 37:7

“Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him; do not fret when men succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes.”

 

Psalms 91:1-5

“He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the LORD, ‘He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust. Surely he will save you from the fowler’s snare and from the deadly pestilence. He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart. You will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day,”

 

Psalms 94:19

“When anxiety was great within me, your consolation brought joy to my soul.”

 

1 Peter 5:6-7

“Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.”

 

Here in 1 Peter we are told to cast all our anxiety upon the Lord. Why, because He cares for us. The word “cast” here means to hurl with all your might every single bit of anxiety in God’s direction. He can handle it when we cannot. If we allow anxiety to control us, it can eventually possess all our faculties and emotions. It will also prevent us from enduring the storm and recovering from it. This is unhealthy. God will take our anxiety from us as we trust in Him. He wants our fears to dissipate and this happens when we share our fears with Him and let Him minister to us.

 

Another instruction in this passage is the fact that we need to humble ourselves before God. Pastor Alistair Begg has said, “There is a relationship between increasing humility and decreasing anxiety.” What he is saying is that the more we humble ourselves before our Lord and trust that He will care for us, the less anxiety we will have in our lives. When we fail to be humble before God we become more anxious because we are not trusting that God is in control. It can be extremely hard to do at times, but God will give us the strength to accomplish it.

 

I would like to end this homily with a portion of a Puritan prayer from the book “The Valley of Vision.” It very accurately and humbly demonstrates the place of God’s Word in our lives as Christians.

 

The Gospel Way

 

Blessed Lord Jesus, no human mind could conceive or invent the gospel. Acting in eternal grace, thou art both its messenger and its message, lived out on the earth through infinite compassion, applying thy life to insult, injury, death, that I might be redeemed, ransomed, freed. Blessed be thou, O Father, for contriving this way, eternal thanks to thee, O Lamb of God, for opening this way, praise everlasting to thee, O Holy Spirit, for applying this way to my heart.

 

Glorious Trinity, impress the gospel on my soul, until its virtue diffuses every faculty; let it be heard, acknowledged, professed, felt. Teach me to secure this mighty blessing; help me to give up darling lust, to submit heart and life to its command, to have it in my will, controlling my affections, molding my understanding; to adhere strictly to the rules of true religion, not departing from them in any instance, nor for any advantage in order to escape evil, inconvenience or danger.