Will your anchor hold?
This summer of 2026 will be a memorable one for many varied reasons. I have so enjoyed the early morning sunrises - sometimes out in the garden at 4am enjoying the crisp cool air, pruning the roses and savouring the heady scent of the honeysuckle, or early morning jaunts to the coast, as well as the late evening sunsets, walking my dog. There was the solar eclipse, which wasn’t quite as dramatic as anticipated, but fun to watch nonetheless with neighbours or friends and family. Then of course the record breaking heatwaves, which have wilted so many of us and have been the topic of many a conversation!
In the midst of this lovely summer, there have been many sad stories of those who have lost their lives swimming and others in the deadly fires. It has been tragic seeing the devastation to the countryside, natural habitat and people’s homes and businesses across so many countries. It reminds us how our lives can change in an instant and made me think - how would I respond if I was in that sort of situation? Many folk are going through difficult times for one reason or another and an old hymn came to mind: ‘Will your anchor hold in the storms of life…?’ Would mine?
The Bible tells us we will face trials and tribulations and tragedies and we might wonder where God is in such times, but He promises to be with us and never forsake us. In many of the Psalms, David cried out to God, feeling that He was distant or had abandoned him. David then recalls His goodness and faithfulness and invariably ends with praise and worship. In Psalm 62 he writes, ‘Find rest O my soul, in God alone; my hope comes from Him. He alone is my rock and my salvation; He is my fortress, I shall never be shaken’. Charles Spurgeon said ‘To feel God’s love is very precious, but to believe it when you do not feel it is the noblest.’
Faith is not based on feelings, but on trusting God’s word and His promises. Spurgeon said: “…when the winds are out and the storms are raging there is plenty of fear, but there is no danger. We may be much tossed, but we are quite safe, for we have an anchor of the soul both sure and steadfast, which will not shift. One blessed thing is that our hope has such a grip of us that we know it. In a vessel you feel the pull of the anchor and the more the wind rages the more you feel that the anchor holds you…”. The anchor is the love of God.
As we look back on this summer, may we, as David did, recognise God’s goodness and faithfulness and praise Him for who He is and for His many blessings. A new season is gradually unfolding and whatever circumstances we may have to face, we can trust that God is with us and loves and cares for us. He is the one who gives us strength to endure and peace that comes only from him. May the anchor of His love hold us firm in our faith. Jeremiah 17:7 NLT. ‘Blessed are those who trust in the Lord and have made the Lord their hope and confidence. They are like trees planted along a riverbank, with roots that reach deep into the water. Such trees are not bothered by the heat or worried by long months of drought. Their leaves stay green and they never stop producing fruit’
Hilary Smith