The first, and probably most well known use, of the drift anchor is to aid vessels in heavy weather. A boat that is not kept bow- or stern-on to heavy seas can easily be rolled by the action of breaking waves. By attaching the drift anchor to a bridle running from bow to stern, the boat can be held at any angle relative to the wind. This is useful in sailboats in conditions too windy to use the sails to maintain a heading, and in motor vessels that are unable to make sufficient headway to maintain steerage.
One Season of The Battles is upon us.
Christmas.
For some, this season runs year long - shopping for next year beginning at the after Christmas sales. Others, just before Thanksgiving - strategically planning their Black Friday attack. And then there are those who scramble - Christmas Eve shopping, hoping to find something that doesn't resemble last minute shopping gifts.
Christmas is just one of the seasons in which it is so easy to get caught up in the whirlwinds of living on this world. The seas of life are deep and often times, overbearing. There are times the waters look calm, beautiful in the sunset or sunrise, but underneath the surface, life is teeming about. And then, there are times when the storms are producing waves that will break apart the ship you are in. As they did the ship Paul was on, in these verses.
I had never really thought about the importance of a "drift anchor", until ABBA brought this verse out to me this morning. It's job isn't as a regular anchor, to hold the vessel stationary, but more as a brake. It is also to keep the vessel from overturning, being swamped by the waters.
How often is life such as this? Where there are times ABBA has us stationary, resting, filling up, a preparing place, and then He pulls up anchor and away we sail. From the verses read, Paul comes across with one important fact - there was much fear on the boat. Fear of not doing. Fear of death. Fear of stepping out in faith, following a plan that seemed totally absurd. ABBA instructed them to sit and wait. On His time, His way and they would all be saved. Not one life would be lost.
How often do we, in the storms, believe our way is the best? When our faith isn't in the shipbuilder, but the ship itself? ABBA provided for each of the men - non swimmers and swimmers both. Those that were unable to swim, the planks from the ship were used to float to the beach. How Awesome is that? He knows we need to ride through the storms which will be a part of our lives, but He knows we need to do it His Way. Not ours. And He has provided a way for us to be safe "in" Him - our Savior.
He knows we need to have the "drift anchors" attached to our lives. The anchors which act as a brake when the seasons of the world whirl their way across us. How easily it is to get caught up in keeping up with the standards of the world and forget His standards are the ones which matter. The ones which last, are solid, are a foundation of Truth to stand on. Our "drift anchors" are found in His Word, through the indwelling of The Holy Spirit within us, by accepting our Savior, by falling head over heels in love with our ABBA.
Only then, the "rocky shoals" of the world, trying to prevent us from getting close to Him, become
nothing but an obstacle He is bigger than. One He swims or floats with us around to the beach.
"At daybreak, no one recognized the land—but then they did notice a bay with a nice beach." (27:39)
In Him - there is always, always Daybreak after the storms. Promise.
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