Meditation

Read Acts 27:13-26

Fearing that we would be dashed against the rocks, they dropped four anchors from the stern and prayed for daylight.—Acts 27:29 (NIV)

The apostle Paul had been arrested and was sailing to Rome, accompanied by nearly three hundred people, when they ended up in a horrible storm. They were helpless and fearful, and disaster was waiting beyond the next wave.

In the middle of their struggles, an angel of the Lord appeared to Paul and promised that all of them would be saved. Those words gave Paul hope and became an anchor for his soul, even stronger than the anchors of the ship. As we read in Hebrews 6:19, “We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure.”

God is trustworthy in all situations. None of us can avoid storms in life. When we encounter difficulties, we may try to find our anchor in money, good health, or a secure job. But we always have an invisible anchor available: Jesus Christ. He went through an unimaginable storm on the cross and rose again to be with us. Let us learn to rest in Christ, the anchor of our souls.

Prayer: Dear God, thank you for your faithfulness. Help us to trust in the anchor your hope provides as we pray, “Father, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come. Give us each day our daily bread. Forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who sins against us. And lead us not into temptation” (Luke 11:2-4, NIV). Amen.

Thought for the day: Jesus is my anchor of hope.

—Esa-Pekka Mattila, Finland