Spiritual Anchor

In Hebrews 2:1, we read, "Therefore we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it."

"Before the days of GPS--the Global Positioning System--the greatest danger for anyone on the ocean was drifting out of sight of land or losing sight of a landmark. A fisherman just off shore might decide to shut his eyes for a nap and several hours later wake up and see nothing but water all around him."

"The strong currents that cause drifting on the ocean or in rivers are also found in the spiritual realm. The writer to the Hebrews warns his readers about drifting away from the truth and commitments they had made. What serves as an anchor in the spiritual realm?" The Word of God. As it says in Hebrews, it's imperative to pay close attention to the things we have heard. And the Bible is where we hear truth to guide us in our lives.

Proverbs lends us some insight: "21 My son, do not lose sight of these— keep sound wisdom and discretion, 22 and they will be life for your soul and adornment for your neck. 23 Then you will walk on your way securely, and your foot will not stumble. 24 If you lie down, you will not be afraid; when you lie down, your sleep will be sweet." (Proverbs 3:21-24 ESV) God is the source of all wisdom and he filled the Scripture with wisdom to keep us secure. The Word of God "serves as a landmark [and an anchor] to keep us from drifting."

"The scariest part of drifting is how subtly it happens." It's almost impossible to notice at first, and if you aren't paying attention, you'll one day wake up and find yourself far from where you need to be. If God's Word isn't your spiritual anchor, there's virtually nothing to keep you from being deceived by the Father of Lies. He loves to twist the truth for his own evil purposes, and gradually pull us far away from God where he can influence us to the point where we can't really discern truth anymore.

That's why God's Word needs to be our anchor. But the currents of sin are so strong, an anchor alone isn't enough. We need something immovable to anchor our lives to. We need a rock. And there are many passages in the Bible referring to God as our rock.

Psalm 18:2 says, "The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold."

Acts 4:11 adds, "This Jesus is the stone that was rejected by you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone."

An anchor gives support and security for a ship, but if the ship was anchored to a rock, there's no way it would go anywhere. The Lord is our Rock. Jesus is our Cornerstone. If we are are firmly anchored to God, letting Him keep us secure, we can avoid drifting from truth.

Let the unchangeable Word of God, the solid anchor for your faith, keep you from drifting. Anchor yourself to the Lord, the immovable rock of your salvation. And place all your hope and trust in Jesus, the never-failing Cornerstone of your faith, the Way, the Truth, and the Life.

JPK

*the quoted passages are either from God's Word, or from a devotional entitled "Spiritual Anchor" in Dr. David Jeremiah's July 2012 edition of Turning Points.