While in this blog I have usually featured "old" hymns, there are some powerful new congregational worship songs being written today. Among the modern authors of these are Matt Boswell and Matt Papa who teamed together to write this week's choice, "Christ The Sure and Steady Anchor". Boswell is a singer, songwriter, pastor and worship leader who has served at various Texas-based churches since the late 1990's. Papa is also a contemporary Christian music singer, songwriter, hymn writer and worship leader. Papa has worked extensively with Keith and Kristyn Getty who are also noted for their new worship songs.
Using the metaphor of the sea, storms and wind, this song is crafted around the idea of holding onto Christ (The Anchor) when trials are high in our lives. The first verse opens with the singer in the midst (the fury) of their storm finding them sinking. But the verse ends with the powerful testimony, "When my sinking hopes are few, I will hold fast to the anchor, I will never be removed."
The next few verses remind us that as the strength of the tempest grows, so does the ability of Christ as the anchor to root in deeper while we cling to Him. Despite temptation, weakness and unbelief we are assured of Christ's steadfastness. He will never let us go.
Finally the authors remind us how we will know the "calm" and even know it better because we have endured the high seas of life and were protected by Jesus, our eternal anchor. This anchor is eternally firm and secure. Great is His faithfulness!
Now maybe you are in the midst of a heavy storm today and you feel pounded by the waves. Or maybe there is such a storm on your horizon. We don't need to look far in our world today to see the unsteadiness that surrounds us. Storms happen to all of us. We live in very difficult times and we need an anchor to ground us and steady us. The only anchor that can do that is the anchor of hope that we have in Jesus Christ. It is firm and secure!
His Word has promised, "You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in You. Trust in the LORD forever, for the LORD, the LORD, is the Rock eternal" (Isaiah 26:3,4)
Christ the sure and steady anchor
In the fury of the storm
When the winds of doubt blow through me
When my sails have all been torn
In the suffering, in the sorrow
When my sinking hopes are few
I will hold fast to the anchor
It will never be removed
Christ the sure and steady anchor
While the tempest rages on
When temptation claims the battle
And it seems the night has won
Deeper still then goes the anchor
Though I justly stand accused
I will hold fast to the anchor
It shall never be removed
Christ the sure and steady anchor
Through the floods of unbelief
Hopeless somehow, o my soul
Now, lift your eyes to Calvary
This my ballast of assurance
See His love forever proved
I will hold fast to the anchor
It will never be removed
Christ the sure and steady anchor
As we face the wave of death
When these trials give way to glory
As we draw our final breath
We will cross that great horizon
Clouds behind and life secure
And the calm will be the better
For the storms that we endure
Christ the shore of our salvation
Ever faithful ever true
We will hold fast to the anchor,
It shall never be removed.
© 2014 Doxology & Theology, Love Your Enemies Publishing. CCLI Song No. 7045331
Listen to it here ANCHOR
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