Hope for Your Heart: Finding Strength in Life's Storms (6 page)

But now for the first time, not only was I more fully aware of the natural beauty of my surroundings, I was more acutely aware of a sensitivity to others’ pain that God was developing within me.

An early manifestation of this was my reaching out to a fellow camper . . . a painfully shy loner like I had been. (I now see the sweet foreshadowing of God’s call on my life to bring His hope to the hopeless through the many avenues He has afforded me.)

Clearly, the feeding I had been receiving from God’s Word since my conversion, through prayer and careful study, was beginning to produce fruit in me even without my awareness. It was a result of the spiritual hunger God created in me when He took up residence within me when I become a Christian.

Back home I began literally living for Sundays, when I could sit at the feet of my fabulous Bible teacher at church and be fed spiritual food that slowly began to fill a deep, deep void in my life . . . a colossal chasm in my heart.

The truths in God’s Word encouraged me to cling to the hope that even though I did not understand why God did not change my caustic father or our painful circumstances at home, I could trust Him to direct my path. During those early years with the Lord, I clung for dear life to Proverbs 3:5–6: “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.”

I counted on God to be my security. I staked my life on Him. He was all I had. As a result, I began to learn one of life’s most precious lessons: God is all I need. And He is the Anchor that never fails . . . even when trouble hits, wave upon wave.

For the waves of death encompassed me,

the torrents of destruction assailed me;

the cords of Sheol entangled me;

the snares of death confronted me.

In my distress I called upon the Lord;

to my God I called.

From his temple he heard my voice,

and my cry came to his ears. (2 Sam. 22:5–7 esv)

It was a warm California day in June 2002. Richard Van Pham launched his twenty-six-foot sailboat to travel from Long Beach harbor to Catalina Island.

As evening approached, a storm whipped around him. The winds were so treacherous, they broke the mast and rudder of his boat. To his dismay, when Van Pham attempted to call for help, his radio wouldn’t work and his motor wouldn’t start. Unable to control his boat, he was helplessly carried away by the wind and the waves.

At age sixty-two, this Vietnamese immigrant had no idea that his three-hour sail was about to become a three-month saga that could only be described as terrifying. His intended twenty-five-mile voyage turned into a 2,500-mile journey of isolation and desperation. Because Van Pham had no other family members, no one initiated a search or filed a missing persons report.

Each day he drifted at sea. Each day he looked for land but instead saw only boundless blue water. He survived by drinking rainwater and eating sea turtles, fish, and seagulls.

Then on September 17, hoped-for rescue became reality. A Navy P-3 patrol plane on an anti-drug interdiction mission spotted the broken-down boat almost three hundred miles off the coast of Costa Rica. A nearby ship, the USS
McClusky
, plucked Van Pham from his crippled craft and took him to Guatemala. Back on solid ground, the sailor-turned-survivor finally flew back home.
³

Memories loomed large for Van Pham when he revisited his lost-at-sea voyage. “I didn’t know where I was or where to go. For months I saw nothing . . . only water, sky, and seagulls.”

Like this rescued man, many of us encounter unexpected crises in our lives. Storms whip around us, and we are blown off course. Suddenly we’re fighting for our lives, struggling to stay afloat. Can we have real hope of survival? Where can we find hope? Where can we turn for help?

The psalmist tells us, “They cried out to the Lord in their trouble, and he brought them out of their distress. He stilled the storm to a whisper; the waves of the sea were hushed. They were glad when it grew calm, and he guided them to their desired haven. Let them give thanks to the Lord for his unfailing love.”
⁴

Whatever storm you are experiencing, allow Christ to be your Anchor. He will keep you from hopelessly drifting. He will hold you both safe and secure.

Not being a sailor, I had never thought much about anchors . . . until I began researching the topic of hope. First I looked at all the verses in the Bible on hope, and only one had a visual attached to it. Hebrews 6:19 (esv) says, “We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul.” I soon realized that this Scripture compares Christ . . . and hope . . . to a nautical anchor. I was intrigued. God could have used any number of objects.
Why anchors?
I wondered.

Answering that question launched a fascinating treasure hunt—scouring nautical literature on the mechanics and purposes of anchors, then using my findings to draw conclusions about biblical applications.

The more I learned about anchors, the more I appreciated the marvelous similarities between the holding power of an anchor and the holding power of Christ . . . discoveries that have changed my life and, I pray, will change yours. So join me now on your own treasure hunt to discover the power of an unfailing Anchor.

I’m sure you know anchors are a nautical necessity. But are you aware they’re also a phenomenon of physics?An anchor weighing a mere forty-five pounds can hold a four-thousand-pound ship in place. Although winds howl and waves swell, a ship will not be carried out to sea as long as the anchor tightly grips the ocean floor. Although anchors come in various sizes and shapes, ultimately all serve one purpose for a boat or ship: “keepin’ her afloat.” In addition:

• Anchors are typically connected to a boat or ship by a rode, a long chain or a heavy line with a short chain. Some anchors are fastened securely to the water’s flooring to hold down a large object (such as an oil rig). Other anchors are like large sheets or parachutes thrown into deep water in order to slow or stabilize a vessel.
  
• The English word
  anchor
  is a translation of a Greek word derived from the word
  ankos
  , which means “curve.”
  ¹
  Anchors are usually curved to hook on to a solid base.
  
• Anchors are a symbol of the sea and represent hope and steadfastness. (The United States Navy often uses this emblem.)
  
• Anchors are often used as Christian symbols to represent Christ, who provides security for believers, holding them secure no matter how severe the storm. This symbol was especially significant to the heavily persecuted early church. Many etchings of anchors have been discovered in the catacombs of Rome, where Christians held their meetings in hiding. Threatened with death because of their faith, these committed Christians used the anchor as a disguised cross and as a marker to guide the way to their secret meetings. Located beneath the ancient city, six hundred miles of these tomb-like burial chambers served as a place of refuge during perilous times of persecution. Thus the anchor, found even on some tombstones today, has become the symbol of guaranteed hope for the eternal security of true Christians.
  

Conditions at sea vary—from perfectly peaceful to the perfect storm. Over the centuries sailors have crafted numerous anchors to address the unique needs of vessels amidst a wide range of environmental conditions.

The trials of life are much the same, arriving with different levels of intensity and duration. To hold us secure, we need an unfailing anchor—one specifically sized to our capacity, adapted to our needs, and able to function flawlessly . . . every single time.

For the believer, Jesus is that Anchor. Consider now just five of the many commonly used anchors and how they reflect the miraculous, mysterious, and matchless staying power of Christ.

Mostly used for smaller craft such as rowboats and canoes—vessels not anticipating major turbulence—the mushroom anchor is the least efficient of the five types because it has no “arms.”
²

Jesus is our anchor.
As the mushroom anchor is used for smaller watercraft, Jesus stabilizes us even as we move through the seemingly “smaller,” minor problems of everyday living. He helps us stay steady with people who gossip and gripe, those who lie and are lazy, those who pout and are petty, those who annoy and are nosy. Jesus anchors us when we have frustrating friends, problems with pets, worry at work . . . and the list goes on.

Biblical example
:Some of the disciples of Jesus who were fishermen by trade experienced the frustration of working all night, only to end up empty-handed. Knowing this, Jesus told them, “‘Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch.’ Simon answered, ‘Master, we’ve worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets.’”
³
Jesus then honored their obedience by filling their nets with more fish than they could possibly hold.

Jesus has proven Himself to be my personal “mushroom anchor”
amidst the everyday trials of life. For example, shortly after graduating from college, I was asked to direct my church’s junior high division, which ministered to six hundred students. Though I had no formal preparation (only four years as a Sunday school teacher), I accepted the position . . . unaware that my most effective source of training would soon come from the “School of Hard Knocks.”

Such was the case one Friday evening after a youth rally when I quietly suggested to fourteen-year-old Nancy that perhaps she could refrain from talking so much about her more sophisticated wardrobe so as not to build barriers between her friends and herself.

That same night Nancy’s mother phoned me, outraged that I would advise her daughter on such matters and demanding my assurances that I would never again make such a grave mistake. “If anyone’s going to correct her, I’ll be the one!” she snapped.

Though I felt misunderstood, I didn’t feel led to try to argue my case with Nancy’s mother. As anger threatened to boil within me, God reminded me of Proverbs 15:1, “A gentle answer turns away wrath.” With a softened heart, I decided to give a higher priority to the relationship with Nancy and her mother than to the satisfaction of being understood or making my point. I apologized to mother and daughter and asked for forgiveness, which ultimately enabled me to remain a part of Nancy’s life.

Looking back, I see how God worked through that trial for my good, strengthening my faith and teaching me an invaluable lesson. Even if my motive is right, I can expect to be accused of doing wrong. But Jesus is there to anchor me.