'Firmly Anchored' by Harry Foster

SPLASH! As Donald leaned over the side of the ship he could just see where the anchor had fallen into the water, and presently he watched the chain tighten up as the vessel was held firm to its position. Their journey was near to its end; in most of the ports the ship had drawn alongside the quay, but on this occasion they had to wait out in the bay for a whole day, and so the ship was still and steady, riding at anchor.

His friend, a fellow passenger, was not there when the anchor was released, so later on when the two walked around the deck and remarked on the steady position which they were holding, Donald explained it all to him, adding: 'It makes you feel safe, doesn't it, being anchored to the rock?'

Now Donald's friend knew more about anchors than he did, so he immediately challenged this last remark, commenting: 'anchored in the mud would be more correct'. They were both members of a Crusader class, and Donald had often sung the chorus: "We have an anchor ...", so he rejected his friend's correction, insisting that of course their anchor was embedded in the rock, for otherwise the ship would be drifting away. His friend said that this was nonsense, for the anchor had to grip into the soft sea bottom, and then it could be hauled up again when the ship wanted to sail. Donald disagreed; the argument became fierce and as neither knew much about it they were glad to see the third officer approaching and decided to ask him.

His answer made fun of Donald's idea for he confirmed that the anchor was gripping into the muddy bottom, and said that if the bed of the bay had been rock, then their anchor would have just bounced off it, and by now the ship would have been dragging out to sea again.

Oh dear! Was the chorus wrong? Was the Bible perhaps wrong? What could he believe? Donald's sense of doubt and insecurity grew. He felt that he had been misled, and he got into such a state that when the voyage was over and he was back home again he almost decided not to go to Crusaders any more, as he felt that he was not told the truth.

Happily, though, he did go again, and he was sensible enough to ask the leader what was the truth about anchors. The class leader was not sure himself, but he promised to make enquiries, if possible before the coming Sunday.

He found the right man, and when he had put his question he received an answer which helped him in his own spiritual life as well as settling Donald's doubts. Around the world's coasts, including our own, there are lightships which must remain in a fixed position in order to give navigational help to sailors. These lightships do not have an ordinary ship's anchor, the kind that can be raised and lowered, for they are not made to travel, but to remain stationary. For this purpose they have to be held by special anchors which bore into the rock or solid ground, so remaining permanently fixed.

So the Crusader leader was able to explain this to Donald and to point out to him that it all depends what you want to do with your life. If you want to be always nerving about spiritually, shifting and drifting from one thing to another, then it will be good enough to have an anchor in the mud; but if you want to be spiritually steadfast, giving out to other travellers a light to guide them on their way, then you must have a different kind of anchor, the one that goes deep down into the rock and stays there.

He hardly needed to add to Donald: 'Of course, Christ is our Rock. If we really lay hold of Him by faith', he said earnestly, 'then it will be true that the billows will not move us and -- like the lightship -- we shall be grounded firm and true, just as the chorus says.'

This is not only true for Donald, but for every reader of this story. The lightship needs firm ground for its anchor; we need the spiritual Rock, the Lord Jesus, so that we can be anchored firm and deep in the Saviour's love. "Which hope we have as an anchor to the soul, both sure and steadfast ..." (Hebrews 6:19.)

[The lucid and lively articles and stories of Harry Foster, an associate of T. Austin Sparks, can be found in the magazines 'A Witness and A Testimony' and 'Toward The Mark' which are available on http://www.oscar51.net and http://www.austin-sparks.net ]

Daniel Chapter Five

These are extracts from chapter 5 of the book, The Overcomers' Secret, by Bro Bakht Singh.

1. God's love is everlasting. Even though God may rebuke and chasten us because of our folly, His love will never change. God does not love us a little; He loves us in all His fullness. That is why He gives us all He has. He left all His glory for us. He gave to the very last ounce of His blood for our sakes. Only such a love is perfect love, and only such a love can take away our fears.

2. Sometimes we go through peculiar trials and sufferings, and at such times no mother, however sincere and loving she might be, is able to share it with us. But the love of Christ is perfect, and He is able to share all our burdens, difficulties, sorrows and sufferings.

3. God is His great love and mercy, gives you warning again and again in many ways. Through sickness and calamities He calls you, that you may receive His salvation. It is only when men continually refuse to repent, that God finally sends His punishment upon them.

4. There was a man in France called Voltaire. He was a great scholar, but he was an atheist and a blasphemer. Just before his death, he fell sick, and he was full of fear. Every night he would scream so much that no nurse would stay near or nurse him for more than one night. His face was so full of fear that it was horrible to look at. I have seen people who did not know their God, dying full of fear.

5. These studies in the Book of Daniel show us God's great plan. God's purpose is to raise up overcomers who will completely defeat the devil and all his schemes. God might have chosen to destroy the enemy on the very day of his fall, but in His great wisdom He has desired us, His people, to be partners with Him in His great victory. He has loved us with an everlasting love, and He has chosen us in Him for a very high and lofty purpose, which was in His mind before all creation was made. This is shown to us in Ephesians 1.4-23.

[I do wish that all those who are going through severe trials and sorrows would read this wonderful little book by the man of God, Bro Bakht Singh. It is of great comfort and encouragement, because it is written out of experience.]