Anchored In Christ

 “The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my savior; 3. my God is my rock, in whom I find protection. He is my shield, the  power that saves me, and my place of safety.  He is my refuge, my savior, the one who saves me from violence.”            II Samuel 22:2,3  (NASB)

  Storms are real !  Weather storms can be seen; but spiritual storms are not always evident right away.  Have the storms of everyday life sometimes defeated or nearly overtaken you?  What is the source of the anchor during the storms which take place in your life?

Read: Acts 27:1-44 
Paul gives us an account of four anchors he used in his life :

I. v.23,24 Anchor One-  God   
everything is known to God-  He is omniscient and omnipotent
            John 1:12   When you belong to Him, He empowers you
            Psalms 18:31,32  He alone is the Rock of our salvation

II v.25  Anchor Two-  Faith  
            Acts 9:15 ,16  because of Paul’s unique experiences, he needed Faith in God; He, as we, must trust God’s word of protection

III. v.31 Anchor Three-  the Ship  (“except ye abide in the ship”)
Matthew 16:18,19  the local church family (not Peter) is your ship; 
a source of safety from the water; a source of transportation home

IV. v.33-36  Anchor Four-  Meat   (“take sustenance”)
our “meat” is the Word of God; the Bible. Paul also encourages us to:
1)  have a steady diet of God’s Word to give us spiritual health.
2)  a steady diet of God’s Word surrounds us with His safety
3)  a diet of God’s Word encourages our faith and cheers us up!
It is impossible to fail or be defeated when allowing the Word of God to be our guide!

“We who have run for our very lives to God have every reason to grab the promised hope with both hands and never let go. It's an unbreakable spiritual lifeline, reaching past all appearances right to the very presence of God where Jesus, running on ahead of us, has taken up his permanent post as high priest for us.”      Hebrews 6:18-20 (Msg)