In times like these you need a Savior,
In times like these you need an anchor;
Be very sure, be very sure,
Your anchor holds and grips the Solid Rock!
This Rock is Jesus, Yes He’s the One,
This Rock is Jesus, the only One;
Be very sure, be very sure,
Your anchor holds and grips the Solid Rock!
In times like these you need the Bible,
In times like these, O be not idle;
Be very sure, be very sure,
Your anchor holds and grips the Solid Rock!
In times like these I have a Savior,
In times like these I have an anchor;
I’m very sure, I’m very sure
My anchor holds and grips the Solid Rock!
“In Times Like These” written by British housewife, Ruth Caye Jones.
In 1944, in the height of World War II, the stress and conflict weighed heavily on British housewife, Ruth Caye Jones. In the midst of going about her daily chores, she felt God speaking to her with these words. She stopped what she was doing and immediately wrote down both the words and the music.
An anchor is a very heavy piece of metal, that when lowered in one spot, keeps whatever is attached to it from moving. We all know that an anchor is used in boating. Once a boater enters a place that is good and he wants to stay there, the anchor is lowered to keep the boat steadfast. Then fishing or swimming can take place right there without the boat floating away.
In my last few posts I’ve shared that God is in control, He is near you, He sees and hears you, He hears your prayers. Also God Walks with you every step you take, right there beside you. I love the poem Footprints in the Sand by Mary Stevenson, written in 1939.
One night I dreamed a dream.
As I was walking along the beach with my Lord.
Across the dark sky flashed scenes from my life.
For each scene, I noticed two sets of footprints in the sand,
One belonging to me and one to my Lord.
After the last scene of my life flashed before me,
I looked back at the footprints in the sand.
I noticed that at many times along the path of my life,
especially at the very lowest and saddest times,
there was only one set of footprints.
This really troubled me, so I asked the Lord about it.
“Lord, you said once I decided to follow you,
You’d walk with me all the way.
But I noticed that during the saddest and most troublesome times of my life,
there was only one set of footprints. I don’t understand why, when I needed You the most, You would leave me.”
He whispered, “My precious child, I love you and will never leave you
Never, ever, during your trials and testings.
When you saw only one set of footprints,
It was then that I carried you.”
This poem is exactly what Jesus does when we put our trust and faith in Him. He becomes that anchor that is heavy and immovable when we need Him most and even when things are going smoothly, He never departs from us. Deuteronomy 31:8, “The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.”
The Bible tells us in 2 Timothy 3:1-5, “But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come; for men will be lover of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good…and from such people turn away!” We need to be strong and hold in place, so we aren’t swept up with such people and happenings.
One sure way is to have Jesus as our anchor. Psalm 62:6, “He only is my rock and my salvation; He is my defense; I shall not be moved.” Hebrews 6:19a, “This hope we have as an anchor or the soul, both sure and steadfast.”
It doesn’t mean that the storm will pass quickly, or that we won’t suffer from it. What it means is that we have a firm and sure foundation and the One to whom we hold tight has gone before us and prepares a place for those who trust in him. Jesus Christ, will prevent our souls from wavering and wandering in times of pressure and turmoil. As believers, we have “a living hope” and “hope as an anchor” that holds secure because it is hitched to the reliable Word of God and the unchanging character of God. He is faithful, and His promises are true. Hold onto the right hope, Jesus. Hold on to the anchor of your soul, Jesus. Take time each day and spend with God, read His Word and pray. We live in uncertain times, but we have a God who does not change. He is ever present with you.
When we wrap Jesus around us, it’s like insulation. Until you actually possess His true peace, no one can describe it to you. John 14:27 says, “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” Knowing He walks beside you, you will overcome your worry, anxiety, hatred, envy and confusion. It’s the peace that is greater than anything we can realize. Philippians 4:5-7 says, “Be anxious for nothing, 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 minds through Christ Jesus.” This surely is an anchor which cannot be moved!
If you don’t have this anchor we call Jesus, but would start a journey with Him, just say this little prayer and ask Him into your heart. Seek Him and find Him. He’s waiting.
Our lives are like the open seas—calm and pleasant one day;
stormy and tempest-tossed the next.
But in times like these we can be very sure
our anchor holds and grips the Solid Rock.