All of us are going to have times in our life when we need comfort and assurance for the future.
All of us have lost loved ones and have gone through or going through the grieving process. We have had times in our lives when we expected a greater outcome than we received in situations that affected us deeply.
I love gospel music and I appreciate the song “The Anchor Holds” written by Lawrence Chewning and sung by Ray Boltz. In 1992 Chewning and his wife faced one of the toughest years of their lives and called it their year of sorrows. He had become a burned our pastor after 19 years in service.
His father died that year, he and his wife were facing health problems, and his wife experienced her third miscarriage.
Chewning was given a six month sabbatical from pastoring as a time of recuperation and rest for him and his wife. During this time the Holy Spirit gave him the song “The Anchor Holds,” and as he would sing it to himself he began to experience God’s comfort, encouragement and hope.
In 1993 his friend Ray Boltz heard about the song and asked if he could record it and from there the rest is history.
It has become one of the most sung songs of today and recorded by many different artists.
Chewning was inspired to write this song as he held his son, a 13 week fetus that his wife had miscarried, and wondered what might have been.
Chewning wrote, “I’ve had visions, I’ve had dreams, I’ve even held them in my hand; but I never knew they would slip right through, like they were grains of sand. I have been young, but I am older now; and there has been beauty these eyes have seen; but it was in the night, through the storms of my life; oh that’s where God proved His love to me.”
When you face troublesome times remember “The Anchor Holds” Many have faced the same tough situations that Chewning faced. Being a pastor he realized who his “Anchor” is. With all the problems that we are facing in the world today all of us that know Jesus personally, know the He is our Anchor and we can depend on Him to see us through our troubled times.
For those who have not accepted Jesus as their one and only Lord and Savior can do so by going to their knees and asking Jesus to forgive them of their sins and inviting Him into their heart.
Just as Chewning song said about him the same holds true for all of us. Our Anchor is Jesus Christ and once we put our faith and trust in Him, even though we will face struggles in our life, He will never leave you nor forsake you.
The song’s chorus says, “The anchor holds, though the ship is battered;
the anchor holds though the sails are torn; I
have fallen on my knees, as I faced the raging seas;
the anchor holds in spite of the storm.”
GARY ANDREWS' devotional appears each week on the Church Pages of your Clarksdale Press Register. You can contact him at GARY@gadevotionals.com
