An Anchor For The Soul

“When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you.”

- Isaiah 43:2

Life has a way of bringing storms we never asked for. Sometimes they come suddenly, a diagnosis, a financial setback, the loss of a job, or the betrayal of someone we trusted. Other times the storms brew slowly, building in intensity until we feel the cables of our lives begin to strain.

The old hymn “Will Your Anchor Hold” asks a timeless question:

Will your anchor hold in the storms of life,
When the clouds unfold their wings of strife?
When the strong tides lift, and the cables strain,
Will your anchor drift, or firm remain?

It’s an honest question. Because if our anchor isn’t secured, the winds and waves will toss us wherever they please.

The Anchor That Holds

The refrain of the hymn gives us the answer:

We have an anchor that keeps the soul
Steadfast and sure while the billows roll;
Fastened to the Rock which cannot move,
Grounded firm and deep in the Saviour’s love!

Our security isn’t found in our strength, our planning, or even our best intentions. It’s found in the Rock that cannot move: Jesus Christ. Anchors are only as strong as what they’re fastened to. If your anchor is in the shifting sands of success, money, relationships, or titles, it won’t hold. But when it’s grounded in the love of Christ, it cannot fail.

Lessons From the Anchor

1. Anchors are unseen but essential.
   No one brags about the beauty of their anchor, yet without it, a ship won’t survive the storm. Faith works the same way. It may not always be visible, but it keeps us steady when nothing else can.

2. Anchors hold us in place, not out of the storm.
   Notice the hymn doesn’t promise an escape from the waves. The storm still rages, but the anchor ensures we won’t be swept away. God doesn’t always remove the storm, but He promises to keep us through it.

3. Anchors remind us of what is unshakable.
   In a world where everything feels temporary, Jesus is the Rock that cannot move. He was faithful yesterday, He is faithful today, and He will remain faithful tomorrow.

A Personal Word

I’ve walked through seasons where the winds of life were fierce, where what I thought would hold me together began to unravel. From a young age, the enemy tried multiple times to come for me in different ways - through physical injuries from accidents, through spiritual attacks, through professional sabotage, and through the heavy weight of mental exhaustion and depression.

But looking back, I see that the anchor of God’s love held me firm every single time. He healed me when car accidents could have taken my life. He preserved me when a playground injury or even falling through a building window could have left me broken beyond repair. He shielded me from curses spoken over my life and from spiritual traps meant to derail my purpose. He sustained me in the workplace when others schemed for my downfall. And He guarded my peace when everything around me felt chaotic.

Through it all, I may have felt the storm’s fury, but I was never lost to it.

That’s the beauty of the Savior’s love; it goes deeper than the waves can reach. His anchor doesn’t just hold us steady; it heals, preserves, and carries us through every trial designed to destroy us.

The Invitation

“We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure.”
- Hebrews 6:19

So let me ask you: Where is your anchor today?

If it’s tied to something temporary like your career, your bank account, your relationships, or even your own strength, then the storm will eventually expose it. The winds of life have a way of showing us what we’re truly fastened to.

But if your anchor is grounded in Christ, you can be certain that you may bend, you may strain, you may even feel the spray of the waves crashing against you but you will not be destroyed. His love holds firm when everything else shifts.

Anchoring your life in Jesus doesn’t mean you’ll never face storms. It means that when the storm comes, you’ll have a security deeper than the waves, stronger than the winds, and steadier than the fiercest tide.

Do The Work

This week, I exhort you to pause and ask yourself: What is my anchor tied to and does it hold when the storms rise? Sit with this and deeply meditate on the answer. Examine yourself and reflect on what your response is. Write it down, and share it with someone you trust.

Say A Prayer

Lord, thank You for being the Rock that cannot be moved. In a world where storms come without warning, help us anchor our lives in You. Strengthen our faith when the waves rise high, and remind us that Your love is deeper and stronger than any tide we face. Keep us steadfast, sure, and grounded in You. Amen.