Do You Have an Anchor? | Quarantine Quiet Times

By Jill Newman

I had my very first panic attack at age 5. Our kindergarten class had just received a new toy. It was a long fabric tube that we could crawl through. What should have been an orderly, gentle stream of happy kids flowing in one direction through the tube quickly became a turbulent, roiling river of hysterical 5 year olds caught in a claustrophobic nightmare when we entered the tube from both ends! I was trapped in the middle with no way out! I still remember the sweat dripping from my face as intense fear and anxiety flooded through me. 

In the book of Philippians, the apostle Paul exhorts us, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (Phil 4:6-7)

Unfortunately for me at the time, I had never heard of the apostle Paul.  In fact, as a child, I knew little to nothing about God or the Bible. I had no One to call out to in my time of severe distress. I had no way to deal with all of my fears and anxieties.

That childhood experience reminds me of the time our family took a road trip to Niagara Falls.  It is a breathtakingly beautiful place that spans the border between the US and Canada. One section of the falls, called Horseshoe Falls, plummets over 180 feet to the river below. Preceding the falls, there are turbulent, roiling rapids (reminiscent of my kindergarten tube terrors) that are a point of no return for boaters.  However, farther up the river, the currents are much more gentle and boats are able to safely navigate this section.  A pedestrian walkway spans this part of the river. Posted on the side of the bridge is a warning sign for boaters: “Do you have an anchor?” followed by, “ Do you know how to use it?”

Faith in God is the anchor of our souls. Before I came to know God and accept Jesus as my Lord and Saviour, I had no anchor.  In fact, I lived 23 years on this earth with nothing to hold on to in times of stress, anxiety and fear. But knowing Jesus is only the beginning.  We have to know how to use our anchor of faith.

The Lord has given us His Word as a lifeline for our souls.  In it, I have found wisdom, conviction, grace, and yes, peace in times of chaos.  Right now we are living through an unprecedented time in history. The COVID-19 pandemic has rocked the world and definitely rocked our little corner of it. At times, the fear and panic that this will never end, that we’re trapped, can be overwhelming. But, each time I open His Word, I find a perspective that reveals a big and mighty God, bigger than any plague or pestilence that is or ever will be. I discover a God of grace who tells me I’m not destined for His wrath. And, I find a God of peace who calms my heart when I feel like I’m swirling in turbulent waters with no way out.

So, I would ask you, “Do you have an anchor? And, do you know how to use it?”

Have you accepted Jesus as the Lord and Savior of your life? If you haven’t, I encourage you to get together with a trusted parent, friend or pastor and ask them about Jesus. It’s the most important decision you will ever make in your life.

If you do know Jesus, are you clinging to Him and His Word as the anchor of your faith?  Are you seeking Him by reading your Bible each and every day?