I don’t have to tell you life is not exactly smooth sailing right now. Internationally, the waters are choppy and chaotic. Closer to home, we feel storm tossed by rising prices and falling stock markets. It’s hard to stay steady when the world is so unsettled.
Question: How do you navigate through life’s rough waters?
Answer: You anchor yourself in God’s Word.
I’ve been recently reminded of this soul-stabilizing truth in two ways. I’ll explain the first way in this post, and the second in my next post.
I’ve found an anchor for my soul by saturating my heart with Psalm 119. This psalm—the longest of in the entire collection—records a prayer of praise to God for His Word. In each of its 22 sections (one for every letter in the Hebrew alphabet), we are reminded how God’s Word guides, corrects, strengthens, and sustains us.
God’s Word is our compass when we feel lost at sea: “Your testimonies are my delight; they are my counselors” (119:24).
God’s Word is our harbour when we face the headwinds of trouble: “Trouble and anguish have found me out, but your commandments are my delight” (119:143).
God’s Word is our rescue when we are deluged by temptation: “I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you” (119:11).
So here is a question for you: Are you anchoring your life in God’s Word these days?
- Do you spend more time on your phone scrolling through bad news than you spend in God’s Word soaking up good news?
- Do you focus more on the latest word from Ottawa or Washington DC or the eternal Word from heaven?
- Do start or end your day by looking at the waves or looking at the Word?
- Have you come to realize the direct correlation between what goes into your mind and what goes on in your heart?
Please don’t misunderstand. I’m not suggesting we retreat from our needy world or ignore the turmoil around us. I am calling all of us to resist the undertow of current events by anchoring our lives in the safe haven of God’s Word.
Read God’s Word daily. Study it seriously. Memorize it strategically. Meditate on it continually. That’s how you can navigate through life’s rough waters.
(In my next post, I’ll write about how Dawson Trotman and the Navigators have inspired me to anchor my soul in God’s Word.)
Rick and Linda Reed 