“Then fearing lest we should have fallen upon rocks, they cast four anchors out of the stern and wished for the day.”  Acts 27:29 For fourteen days, the wind and crashing waves had bombarded the ship. They cast everything they could spare overboard. Fear filled their hearts. It looked like all hope was gone. But one man among the two hundred and seventy-six aboard had a promise that he would reach Rome. In the night, God appeared to Paul with a message: Verse 23-26 “For there stood by me this night the angel of God, whose I am, and whom I serve, Saying, Fear not, Paul; thou must be brought before Caesar: and, lo, God hath given thee all them that sail with thee. Wherefore, sirs, be of good cheer: for I believe God, that it shall be even as it was told me. Howbeit we must be cast upon a certain island.”  That night, realizing they were nearing land, they put down four anchors to hold the ship steady until daylight came. As the crew tried to escape in the lifeboat, Paul warned them that only those who stayed with the ship would survive. As day dawned, they saw a way…

“That by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us: Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast, and which entereth into that within the veil.” Hebrews 6:18-19 When our children were young, and finances were low, we spent time together doing simple things. On Saturdays, we would go for drives in the country, exploring unfamiliar roads, and just enjoying being together. One of our favourite places to end up was Iroquois on the St. Lawrence River. It was interesting to watch as a large ship would enter the locks, the gates would close, and the water would slowly rise. Then the gates on the other end would open so the ship could leave to continue its journey. Often, there would be other ships in the river a short distance away. They were at anchor, waiting patiently for their turn to go through the locks. Their anchors held them securely in place until it was their turn. When I was praying and asking the Lord for direction for this week’s devotions,…

“But He knoweth the way that I take: when He hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold.” Job 23:10 (KJV) Job’s words, “I shall come forth as gold,” were spoken from the depths of unimaginable pain. He was enduring the trial of his life. It felt as though the blessings and favor of God had been stripped away forever. Job was in anguish. His heart grieved the loss of his children. His body ached with sickness and sores. And, in the very moment when he needed comfort most, his wife and friends betrayed him with their words. He was grieving, in pain, and alone. He KnowS The Way That I Take And the more he cried out to God, the more distant God seemed, or so it appeared. Yet even in his silence, Job clung to a truth that anchored his soul: “But He knoweth the way that I take.” Job understood that even when he couldn’t feel God, God still knew every step of his journey. Though everything around him had been shaken, Job’s faith held steady because he believed God was refining him — not rejecting him. Gold is not found shining and pure; it must…

“And Rizpah the daughter of Aiah took sackcloth, and spread it for her upon the rock… and suffered neither the birds of the air to rest on them by day, nor the beasts of the field by night.” 2 Samuel 21:10 There is grief that is so deep that it refuses to be hidden. Rizpah’s grief refused to remain silent. In 2 Samuel 21, a famine plagued Israel for three years. When King David sought the Lord, he discovered the cause: Saul had broken covenant with the Gibeonites, and the land was reaping the consequence of his unfaithfulness. Though Saul was gone, the effects of his sin lingered, and it cost seven of his descendants their lives. Among them were the two sons of Rizpah, one of Saul’s concubines. Her sons had died unjustly, but Rizpah refused to let their story end in dishonor. She spread sackcloth on a rock and kept vigil—guarding their bodies day and night, fighting off vultures and wild beasts, standing as both mother and intercessor. Her persistence moved the heart of the king. When David heard of her vigil, he was stirred to act. He gathered the bones of Saul, Jonathan, and the seven executed…