The Spiritual Anchor of Life and Leadership

UV 1708/10000 The Spiritual Anchor of Life and Leadership
Then are they glad because they be quiet; so he bringeth them unto their desired haven
Psalm 107 v 30

The Lord constantly helps us navigate through the rough waters of our lives. He promises to send a favourable wind our way. We only need to keep rowing with our eyes fixed on Him. He will calm the many storms in our lives and give us peace and rest in due time. He will eventually bring us to our port of calling, the safe harbour of our eternal destiny where neither death nor sin is present, where there are no tears or fears. Scripture verses are like the buoys the Lord has placed in the unchartered waters of our lives to mark the dangerous rocks and pathways in the sea. Our witness is like the flares or signals that we trigger to warn and guide others in their storms.

Instead of us chasing the wind as Solomon wrote in the book of Ecclesiastes, the Lord will send a wind our way. Our sails are a metaphor for our spirit. It should be open in the direction the wind blows so that our sails catch it. He will also send the fish our way so that we catch it in our nets and have enough and more for our sustenance. Steering the boat is our responsibility. We need to always look ahead and not the course we have left behind, while learning from all our experiences of the past.

The promise that we will reach our “desired haven” implies that the Lord in His sovereignty factors in our heart’s desires and does not delight in denying us our desires. He in fact rejoices in guiding, enabling, empowering, equipping us to fulfil those heart-felt desires as long as these do not violate His Word and will. Ultimately, every person’s desired haven is our home on high, our mansion in heaven. The Lord enables us to have “ win-win” on account of our personal relationship with Him: we are transformed from sinners into winners here on earth. We are able to ride every storm in life thanks to the strength, wisdom, guidance and protection He affords us. The moment a storm ceases, our hearts and souls are filled with an immense sense of relief and gladness. Eventually, when we overcome all our troubles and temptations in life, we are presented as winners before the Lord. Then, we can rejoice and worship the Lord forever. Scripture asks that we be joyful in ALL circumstances, that in all seasons, in all phases of our voyage of life: when we are in the harbour of our dreams and goals, when we set sail, when we are facing a storm, when we are going through the storm, when we come out safely out of the storm, when we reach the harbour of our destination, when our goals are fulfilled or not fulfilled. Our faith in Jesus is an anchor of a different kind for an anchor keeps a ship or boat fixed in one part of the water. But our spiritual anchor keeps us still when we need to be still, still in the midst of a storm. It keeps us dynamic and moving at cruising speed in all circumstances.

Prateep V Philip