The anchor for the Soul.
There was a strange voice at the other end of the telephone with some unusual questions.
‘Do you own a boat by the name of Epaphras?’ ‘Do you have it moored at Lake Macquarie?’
It was the police checking they had the right person before they broke the news.
Epaphras was found drifting on Lake Macquarie. It had broken it’s mooring and was in danger of being severley damaged. It was also a threat to other boats. The Maritime Services Board (MSB) found the boat, towed it to safety and secured it to another mooring.
So, at the first possible opportunity I drove up to the lake, paddled out to where I thought the mooring should be and dived in. I swam to the bottom of the lake, scouring the lake floor for the concrete pad that anchored the mooring. After several dives the pad was located. I then tied a nylon cord to it with a float attached so I could easily find it again. Carefully I inspected the mooring, purchased the necessary pieces of hardware and replaced those broken. I then set out to retrieve the boat and return it to it’s mooring. I should add this was in mid-winter!
A mooring usually has a large concrete pad at the base with a large U bolt embedded in it. Large galvanized shackles are used to fasten a heavy chain to the U bolt. A length of smaller chain is shackled to the large chain and a thick nylon rope used to attach a large bright yellow MSB buoy at the top end. One of the shackles had worn through over the years and finally broken, sending Epaphras on an uncontrolled dangerous expedition, at the mercy of the wind and tide, drifting around the lake.
In maintaining the boat I had neglected to ever check the mooring. I had invested time and money in the boat itself but not the mooring. A secure mooring is essential to keep a boat safe. It needs a heavy and firm base to anchor it to the lake floor and a heavy-duty chain to secure the boat to the base pad of concrete. Such an anchor is a good investment in protecting your boat from the elements. Without a secure anchor a boat is in perilous danger.
Each of us needs an anchor for the soul without which we too face severe danger. We need a secure fixed point of reference to orientate our lives and spirits. We need something firm, strong and secure to protect us through the passage of life, with it’s changing tides and storms.
Thankfully there is such an anchor. The author of the book of Hebrews, in the New Testament writes: “ We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure.” It is a beautiful and comforting expression. It is also a great source of strength and gives life real perspective. So, what is this anchor for the soul?
The writer of Hebrews explains how Christ represents us in the presence of God, in the inner sanctuary of heaven itself. He speaks to God on our behalf, having offered His life as a sacrifice for us when He died on the cross. We can now come to God through Him with absolute confidence. Christ himself is our ‘anchor for the soul’. And this anchor secures our place in heaven, with God. It gives us assurance, even in the face of death.
This anchor also gives us wonderful security and real, lasting wisdom in the face of the changing tides of thought, values and ideals.
Christ gives us profound wisdom for life in the face of the confusing, conflicting voices we hear from our society. Knowing and trusting Christ helps us to avoid drifting through life, and helps us avoid many of life's perilous rocks. His wisdom is good practical wisdom for enjoying life, avoiding danger and hurting others.
Jesus guides us through the storms of life, giving us an eternal perspective on our trials and difficulties. He gives us something solid and unchanging to cling to when all else in life gives way.
Jesus is the only anchor for life's storms. Maintain your mooring each morning with Jesus.
(A special thanks to the Rev Andrew Alexander from Abbotsleigh for this article.)