This was not what I had intended to share with you this week but I felt compelled to share a different message that has been brewing in my heart given what has been happening in our country. My husband and I have had our television on every evening for a week straight. After witnessing the protests and the related unrest in so many communities across our country, I have been going to bed filled with hopelessness and despair. I think you know what I mean: you wonder how can this continue to happen? What is MY role in helping it to get better? What does our future really hold?
I had just begun to get excited about the lifting of our state’s COVID-19 stay-at-home order and was feeling hopeful about getting back to “normal,” and now I am filled with uncertainty again. I am convinced that we need hope and encouragement now more than ever and am once again reminded of the verse The Anchor was founded upon: “We have this HOPE [Jesus] as an anchor for the soul firm and secure.” (Hebrews 6:19) During anxious times, I am thankful for The Anchor and the outlet it provides for us to share with one another and remind ourselves of this hope that is for certain and secure no matter what the crashing, stormy waves of life can bring.
According to the dictionary, “hope” is commonly used to mean a wish or desire for something to happen (think “wishful thinking”) but that is not the hope I’m talking about here. I want to share about the hope that comes from The Lord.
In the Bible, HOPE is the confident expectation of what God has promised and the strength we can find in His faithfulness.
I have thought a lot about God’s promises especially when life doesn’t make sense. God is faithful and He has shown that to me time and time again. It is this hope that I anchor myself to and want to share with all of you. Life is filled with problems but God’s word is filled with promises. I cling to His promises: that He loves us, that He is faithful, and that He is Sovereign over all. I stand on the truth that God wants to pour His love out on all of us amidst the craziness and show us His way.
Life is filled with problems but God's word is filled with promises.
I’ve been thinking about how sheltering-in-place has been our motto these last few months due to the virus and I find the word “shelter” has taken on a new meaning for me. He wants us to come to Him more than ever before and find “shelter” in Him.
He is the true shelter that will bring peace amidst the storm, reconciliation in the unrest, and love on us more than we can imagine.
As we spend time with The Lord, we learn His ways of compassion and love for those around us. We can encourage each other by coming along side, connecting and having compassion for those in need. I learned a definition of the word compassion in my college years that has stuck with me. It means to “come past yourself” by thinking of others and how to be there for them. That means in today’s turbulent times, we need to support one another, pray together for each other and for our country, and rest in His promises.
I’d like to share an amazing story that helps to remind me of God’s faithfulness and promise that He is in control amidst the unrest and grief on so many levels. It was one of our first family dinners without our daughter Karina shortly after she had passed away. We were sitting at our dinner table that overlooks the water in our home in Gig Harbor. My nephew was with us sitting in Karina’s chair, her special place at the table, facing out to the water. I sat there saddened in my heart and said aloud as a quiet prayer, “Lord, could we just get a sign or something that we will be alright?” We were all overwhelmed with grief. I was thinking maybe a rainbow — it wasn’t even raining but there were clouds in the sky. My husband sarcastically suggested “maybe a rainbow or a unicorn?”
Then all of a sudden, my nephew pointed out the window and said in his deep voice, “A rainbow like that one, Aunt Katie?”
As we all looked out over the water there was the most glorious rainbow that was arching out of our boat buoy making it look like a pot of gold, and I couldn’t believe it! The sight caught us all off guard — it was the most perfect timing and a swifter and better answer to prayer than we could ever have imagined!
In the Old Testament story of Noah, God gave a rainbow as a symbol of His presence and promise. Now, we too became the recipients of this beacon of hope. The Lord had given me the literal sign that I had asked for and that I still hold onto today as an example of God’s faithfulness. I share that so you too will be encouraged by His promises that we can find rest and shelter in Him, learning His way and share this hope with each other.
After a restless night, I awoke this morning to a very encouraging reading from one of my favorite devotionals from L. B. Cowman called Streams in the Desert and want to share it with you.
“Why do you worry? What possible use does your worrying serve? You are aboard such a large ship that you would be unable to steer even if our Captain placed you at the helm. You would not even be able to adjust the sails, yet you worry as if you were the captain or the helmsman of the vessel. Be quiet, dear soul—God is the Master! Do you think all the commotion and the uproar of this life is evidence that God has left His throne? He has not! Our God is still the Master! Believe this and you will have peace. ‘Don’t be afraid.’” (Matthew 14:27)
I find great comfort and encouragement in those words and in His faithfulness and I hope you do, too.
With love and light,
“He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say to the Lord, “My refuge and my fortress. My God, in whom I trust.” Psalm 91:1-2
Sharing Strength & Hope
Now that our blog has officially launched (wow!) we’ll be sharing more content with you each week. Check your inbox on Tuesday mornings for content that will inspire you and grow your hope in Jesus, such as:
- Articles from founder and director Katie Robertson
- Posts featuring the Anchor Truths (with free phone backgrounds and art prints!)
- Guest articles and videos from women anchored in their faith
- Content to uplift you, encourage you, and help you anchor yourself in the hope of Jesus
We can’t wait to make the vision of The Anchor Blog a reality!
