Current strong?

It was the late Woodrow Wilson who said, "The man who is swimming against the stream knows the strength of it." I imagine there are more than a few individuals in my circle of influence today who feel like they are swimming against the current - toughing it out and trying to battle to the other side. A long time ago, I learned if you'd 'tie off' on one side of the river to a sturdy tree or large rock, you could use the momentum of the river's current to carry you across to the other side, all while still tethered to the anchor on the side you were abandoning. That tether could serve as the guide to help others get across, because you would solidly secure it to the opposite side of the strong current's flow on the other riverbank. The next behind you could then 'tether on' and be guided safely across. Many times we are the ones taking the first risk to cross those troublesome currents of life, but as long as our anchor is secure, we can prepare the way for others!

Disaster strikes like a cyclone and the wicked are whirled away. But the good man has a strong anchor. (Proverbs 10:25 MSG)

The strength of the current doesn't have to be our worry when we have solid anchor. The current can toss us to and fro a bit, but as long as the anchor is firm, we are going to weather the tossing. The current serves the purpose of pushing us to our limits and then it requires we allow God to show us where our limits end and his take over! The moment we try to navigate the current without that anchor, the current is free to exercise a great deal more 'liberty' with where it takes us, what we brush up against, and how frequently we 'go under'. The current doesn't change - the anchor just changes the 'influence' of the current upon us.

We all have varying degrees of 'strong anchors' we have trusted in over the course of our lifetime, some of which have proven to be unstable in the face of the strength of the current itself. The current exerted enough pressure against the ANCHOR that the 'hold' was broken. The captain of a large sailing vessel wouldn't expect a 12 inch rock tied to a length of rope to even begin to 'hold steady' the vessel against the current's strength. The size of the anchor is equally as important as the strength of the current against which it must give anchorage! We sometimes trust in 'anchors' that are less than trustworthy - like money or talent. While both are capable of giving us 'security' for a while, they can both be very untrustworthy anchors.

There is but one solid anchor to which we must 'tie on' as we face the currents of life. That anchor isn't crafted out of anything material or even taken from nature. It is Christ and Christ alone. There is not stronger or more secure anchor than the cross! Just sayin!