CAN THERE BE A SAD DAY IN HEAVEN?

I have been struck with what must have been a horribly sad day in Heaven. [Give me a little literary license here - I'm aware that Heaven is a place of eternal joy! 🙂]

I've been on 'pause' for several days trying to assimilate the content of II Kings 17. This chapter records the end of Israel - the northern kingdom [later known as Samaria]. God had warned them for years that He would raise up an army from the north [Assyria] to utterly destroy them. Their rebellion finally pushed God to the limit [720 B.C.] and Assyria's King Shalmaneser came in with force and defeated Israel He deported many of the people to distant lands while importing people-groups from far distant areas to repopulate the land of Israel. [Read the chapter for remarkable details.] 

[Consult yesterday's blog for a recap: https://hal-lelujah.blogspot.com/2025/08/learning-from-samaritans.html]

This project of God's had begun with creation and progressed through the development of a special people through Abraham and Sarah. He gave them laws through Moses to maintain their priorities and focus. While allowing for free choice, God tried to cultivate a people who would love and serve Him and be a spiritual influence on their entire world. 

Even during difficult trials - like the 400 years in Egypt - God gave them leaders like Joseph and Moses to guide and provide! Gradually, His plan unfolded and God introduced them to the long-promised land of Canaan. God gave them victory over the inhabitants of Canaan and the twelve tribes eventually overcame the native population and divided the land between the twelve tribes. 

But, in spite of God's command to worship only Him, the people worshipped the gods of the Canaanites. When confronted with their profligate spiritual practices, they asked God for a king - an earthly ruler. Then came a succession of kings:

• Saul
• David
• Solomon
• Rehoboam

We have to pause here to recognize that Solomon began with an apparent determination to be faithful to God - like his father, David. However, his wives [700 wives and 300 slave women] distracted him and had him build temples to their gods. 

Upon Solomon's death, his son, Rehoboam, became king. He was young and foolish [read his story in I Kings 12]. A man named Jeroboam turned the hearts of many of the tribes of Israel against Rehoboam. These tribes refused to serve Rehoboam! They made Jeroboam their king! This was the initial separation of Israel into the northern kingdom [Israel - later Samaria] and the southern kingdom [Judah or Judea]. Jeroboam was as notoriously evil as David was righteous! [For more details about his rule and reputation see: https://hal-lelujah.blogspot.com/2025/02/unrealized-potential.html]

Samaria's die was cast by these historical events and would culminate with its utter destruction less than a hundred years later with Shalmanezer's seige of Samaria!

Judea would unfortunately follow in Samaria's pattern of disobedience and rebellion. Judea fell to the Babylonians a little over a hundred years later in 587 B.C. Both countries were decimated and abandoned except for a few who were left to tend the land. Judea's captivity had been declared by God through many prophets who promised that they would be held captive for seventy years! 

Ezra and Nehemiah - at the end of the 70 years - led some of their people back to the land of Judea with hopes of rebuilding the city and temple. This was due to God's grace exhibited through the Persian ruler Cyrus who granted the refugees permission and funding to return to their land and rebuild their temple! [See Ezra 1:1-4]

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Have you ever worked really hard on a project, but when it was all finished - you were not satisfied? Somehow, it just didn't turn out the way you had planned. All the investment of time, creativity and money produced something that fell short of your expectations!

Imagine God's disappointment when His grand human experiment totally failed and He had to send His people into exile as punishment for their chronic disobedience. Imagine His sorrow in seeing the magnificent temple that Solomon had built for His worship - being totally decimated! 

COULD IT HAVE BEEN A SAD DAY IN HEAVEN? 

My nephew, Zac Calhoun, taught this year at Family Camp. He reminded us that when Solomon dedicated the temple he had built, "a cloud filled the Temple of the LORD. The priests could not continue their work, because the Temple was filled with the glory of God." [I Kings 8:10-11] He then reminded us that when Ezra and Nehemiah rebuilt the temple after the seventy years in Babylon [Ezra 6:13-18], there was no similar indication that God had accepted the Temple! [His reasoning for this point was sound and convincing!]

It is apparent that God had the longer view in mind!

He foresaw the arrival of His Son, Jesus! He anticipated the initiation of a new covenant that would be consummated on the Day of Pentecost when "something like flames of fire...stood over each person there" [Acts 2:3]. This sign - like the sign given Solomon - signified God's approval!

May His divine approval continue to rest on those who are wholly dedicated to Him and His purposes! TO GOD BE THE GLORY! AMEN!

LEARNING FROM THE SAMARITANS

I tend to get drawn into huge searches that result from my Bible reading. This one began as I read II Kings 17 recently. 

It tells of the Assyrian king, Shalmanezer coming to obliterate Samaria because its last king, Hoshea, had ceased paying tribute and had sought an alliance with the king of Egypt. 

The attack on Samaria lasted three years with the simple statement that Shalmanezer "...took the Israelites away to Assyria. He settled them in Halah, in Gozan on the Habor River, and in the cities of the Medes" [v.6].  This took place in 720 B.C.

[All quotes are from the NCV, unless otherwise noted]

This was a common strategy for the Assyrians. To reduce the likelihood of a rebellion, they removed the majority of inhabitants of conquered lands to far off places while replacing them with refugees from other parts of their empire. 

As a result, many Samaritans were displaced to the above mentioned locations which were far distant from their homeland [see also II Kings 18:11-12].

• The location of Halah is unknown, but suspected to have been in the territory of the Medes [2,000 miles to the east]!
• Gozan was an Assyrian city several hundred miles to the northeast.
• The cities of the Medes would have been far distant to the east where the culture would have been drastically different.

At the same time, The king of Assyria brought people from Babylon, Cuthah, Avva, Hamath, and Sepharvaim and put them in the cities of Samaria to replace the Israelites [v.24].

• Babylon was a thousand miles to the southeast of Samaria.
• Cuthah would have been in Babylon.
• The location of Avva is uncertain, but suspected to be several hundred miles north in Aramean or Hittite regions.
• Hamath was a region to the extreme north - due east of Turkey.
• Sepharvaim was in Assyrian/Babylon region [very close to modern-day Baghdad].

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All of this may seem irrelevant, but it vividly portrays the utter desolation of Samaria because of its spiritual corruption. God was done with their rebellious ways and made it impossible for them to ever recover!

This devastating displacement and replacement also gives us a foundation for understanding the deep hatred that Judeans had for Samaritans. After all, the 'new breed of Samaritans' were - at best - half-breeds [pagans].  It is assumed that NOT ALL Samaritans were relocated.

In light of all this, we can better understand the shock of Jesus' disciples when He led them into Samaria and engaged them in evangelism with the woman at the well and the people of Sychar [John 4]!  

We can only imagine the shocked and revolting reaction of Jesus' disciples and the crowd that witnessed Jesus telling the story of 'The Good Samaritan' [Luke 10:25-37]. 

When the disciples began to understand that Jesus had every intention of saving the Samaritans along with the Jews, they had to have been stretched beyond imagination by this realization!

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What a message of reconciliation this is for the modern-day church!  

He did not come for just us! He came for all! John 3:16 makes this abundantly clear!

It leaves compelling and convicting questions for us to cope with:

• Why are our churches almost exclusively segregated?
• How are we to overcome our natural proclivity for seeking company that is similar to us?
• How can we hold prejudice in our hearts and claim to love Jesus and serve His purposes?
• Why is the Church not leading in the areas of reconciliation and forgiveness?
• If we could have a face-to-face talk with Jesus, what long-held animosities would He lay His finger on in our lives?
• What allows us to think of ourselves as 'chosen' while disregarding the eternal destiny of others?

The Samaritan issue is far more relevant than most of us have ever considered!

A THOUGHTFUL AND INTELLIGENT ASSESSMENT

One of the most challenging things I read each month is Hillsdale College’s Imprimis. It is intellectually stimulating and culturally relevant.  I don’t pretend to understand everything I read there, but isn’t that the nature of a challenge? 

The edition I just read [July/August 2025/Volume 54, Number 7/8] did not miss the mark. It was an encapsulation of the recent 2025 Commencement Address delivered by Victor Davis Hanson [who many of us see occasionally making contributions on the various conservative news networks].

His introductory remarks were warm, personal and real, as he reflected on his first visit to Hillsdale College in 2004. He reflected on three observations made during that visit:

1.   He left a bicycle unlocked on campus overnight and found it the next morning neither vandalized or stolen.

2.   While visiting the campus bookstore he noticed no therapeutic course titles like peace studies, environmental studies, leisure studies, film studies, gender studies, or sexual studies. Instead, there were courses in all classical aspects of philosophy, literature, languages, history, mathematics, and science.

3.   Upon arriving he observed that students, faculty, and staff at Hillsdale College are happy. “They smile. They say hello to strangers. They shake your hand.”

I will not replicate his remarks – except a few that particularly struck me. He challenged the graduating class with corresponding points about honor, tradition and optimism.

I underlined the following:

“When individual behavior and decorum falter, so does a country, which is, after all, only the common reflection of millions of its individuals.” [p.3]

Immediately thoughts of violence, looting and destroying property leaped to the foreground of my memory. Thoughts about the unsympathetic exchanges between our two political parties and the angry tirades we watch on the floor of our Congress disturbed my mind.

Granted, those who propagate these vehement expressions of anger and discontent are a minority, however, they inevitably taint the bigger picture of our COUNTRY! 

The fact that these exchanges take place as frequently as they do mars the good reflection that we desire!

I also took note of Dr. Hanson’s words regarding tradition:

“So often in the present age, we in our narcissism and arrogance confuse our technical and material successes with automatic moral progress. We seem unaware that thinkers of the past – as early as the Greek poet Hesiod, some 2,700 years ago – worried about just the opposite: they worried that material progress and greater wealth would result in moral regress, given the greater opportunities to gratify the appetites with perceived fewer consequences and to use sophistry to excuse the sin.”

 

[I had to look it up: sophistry means slightly deceptive reasoning.]

Would anyone argue this point? Has moral behavior been improved by our material gain and technological prowess?

I don’t think so.

Cite the diminishing impact and influence of the church in America as a consequence of our wealth and sophistication. It’s a good question for debate: Does the declining influence of the church correspond to the increase of immorality? What do you think?

However, Dr. Hanson deliberately closes his remarks “on a happy note”. He looks to the generation he is addressing in this speech for optimism. He states that “the strength of this country - even in its darkest days like those of April 12, 1861 [the Battle of Fort Sumpter], or December 7, 1941 [the attack on Pearl Harbor] or September 11, 2001 as evidence that even in its darkest days - has always been its singular ability to remain not just unshaken, but confident in its values, its resilience, and its inherent strength to overcome all challenges.” [p.5]

I’m 73½. 🙂  [I’m remembering George Carlin’s bit that states when you reach a certain age, you start counting ‘half-years’ again!]

In short – I’m an old guy. Although I’m still aware of the contributions of Abraham, Moses, Samuel and quite a number of older folks who made major contributions to history [His story]. I’m also aware that our president is 79 years of age – and sets a pace that few can sustain.

However, the future will be more likely impacted by a new and younger generation. Let’s hope and pray that those who cherish values like faith, freedom and respect will lead us into a future that protects those of all ages, finds creative and fair solutions to the complex issues of the global community, and propagates democracy as a preferred system of government. 

PART OF WHY WE GATHER

I'm quote-filing this morning after reading several books recently. I just typed this in after reading it in Michael W. Smith's book, a simple blessing.

When we continually expose our minds to the standards of the culture, those standards begin to seep into our lives. The fatal change comes so gradually that, like the frog in the kettle, we don’t even notice it. First we are no longer shocked by evil. Then we become accustomed to it. Then we tolerate it. Then it’s only a tiny step to accept it as normal.  [p.76]

It immediately occurred to me that this is one of the key reasons that we get together for worship every week!

Through the course of the week we are inundated with the impact of massive and consistent cultural change! Many of us are realizing that we can't keep up with it. It's overwhelming. We may despair over the way younger generations seem to adapt and adopt trends that we are wary of.

Debbie and I love watching good dramas on television, but so often they are beyond what we consider acceptable. If you would examine our television, you would find a host of TV series and movies that we watched for five or ten minutes and then bailed out! This is because we ran into language, sexual situations, violence or moral issues that conflict with the values that we hold as precious. So, we move on...

The internet is an 'out-of-control' issue for people today. It provides a measure of anonymity and voyeurism that is high-risk for anyone who wants to maintain godly standards and behavior! Strict controls and accountability are necessary to maintain appropriate viewing patterns!

Just watching the news can fill a person with despair! 

But before this disintegrates into a "Woe is me! - the sky is falling" diatribe, let's make a right turn.

It occurred to me - as I typed this quote into my file - that one of the reasons we meet together regularly as believers in Jesus, is to serve as a correction for this onslaught of corruption and vulgarity. 

We meet to refocus!

We meet to confess our failures.

We meet to assess our spiritual vigor.

We meet to hold one another accountable.

We meet to remind ourselves of that which is good and holy!

We meet to be challenged to stay faithful and serve as a role model for the culture.

And if we're serious about our involvement, we are likely to be rewarded by the One Who forgives, cleanses and restores our souls!

It serves as a righting of that which is wrong! 

...a clarification of our intention.

...a renewal of determination.

...a reminder of decisions we've made.

...a sharing of responsibility for those who are part of our worshiping community.

...a statement of unity with a global community.

...a submission to divine Love

[This list could go on...]

We need this! We desperately need this! There are no 'lone rangers' in the Bible! Community is essential to maintaining commitment and promises! Wise men seek accountability; I suppose wise women do the same. 

Leaders and pastors who plan worship need to review this aspect of Sunday worship and be purposeful in structuring the time to accommodate these needs. 

The structure of our worship tends to prohibit engagement. We all sit facing the front. There are only a few people who could name everyone in the sanctuary. Most of our participation is a response to directions given from those on the platform. We may - or may not - connect with people before or after worship. 

In my last novel, Never Unreachable, a retired couple are invited to attend a 'house-church' that meets in a home. He immediately meets guys from the community that he knows from the hardware store, or school days, or the gas station. He loves the fact that food is always available and you can grab some when you want it. The atmosphere is casual. The leaders sit close - on the same level. New people are introduced and welcomed. There's ample time, before the structured time begins, for people to mingle, share stories, get acquainted and establish a comfort zone. He is surprised to find that he actually looks forward to Sundays!

I digress...

We need help to diffuse the pervasive impact of the ever-changing culture in our lives! 

Participating in worship can provide that help by reminding us of the standards that we revere and the fact that we are part of a community of faith that extends around the globe!

SIN OPENS DOORS [to more sin]

Follow the progression of this trail:

Acts 7:58 [All quotes from the NCV unless otherwise noted]

They took Stephen out of the city and began to throw stones at him to kill him. And those who told lies against Stephen left their coats with a young man named Saul.

Acts 8:1

Saul agreed that the killing of Stephen was good.

Acts 8:3

Saul was also trying to destroy the church, going from house to house, dragging out men and women and putting them in jail.

Acts 9:1,2

In Jerusalem Saul was still threatening the followers of the Lord by saying he would kill them. So he went to the high priest and asked him to write letters to the synagogues in the city of Damascus. Then if Saul found any followers of Christ's Way, men or women, he would arrest them and bring them back to Jerusalem.

Saul began as a mere observer who was caught up in the raucous behavior of a crowd. Like any young man, his curiosity was peaked. Then, as a bystander, he became the protector of the coats of those who were killing Stephen! 

It's a subtle progression, that moved him from 'observer' to 'participant'! Somewhere in this role change Saul decided that he was in agreement with the acts of violence that these men were perpetrating! That's a BIG STEP!

There are some missing steps in Saul's progression at this point, but apparently not much time passed. Did he begin to associate with some of these violent men? Was he noticed by some of the leaders of this mob?

All we know is that the next verse tells us that Saul had begun to destroy the church. He did so via a vigorous campaign that portrays him as going from house to house. Notice the description of violence: "dragging out men and women and putting them in jail!!

I clearly recall being taught in one of my college classes the correlation between Acts 1:8 and 8:1.

Acts 1:8

But when the Holy Spirit comes to you, you will receive power. You will be my witnesses

in Jerusalem, in all of Judea, in Samaria, and in every part of the world."

Acts 8:1

On that day the church of Jerusalem began to be persecuted, and all the believers, except the apostles, were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria."

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THREE OBSERVATIONS

1. The subtlety of sin and its progression in our lives.
2. God's persistence in getting through to us!
3. What the enemy intends for evil, God can turn into good!

THE SUBTLETY OF SIN

One of the most clever tactics of our spiritual enemy is to persuade us that the sin we're about to engage in is not significant.

Put it in the same category with 'white lies'. It won't really make a difference in the grand scheme of things.  It won't hurt anybody. No one will ever know! 

In essence, you are being tempted to compromise!

Giving in to the process of compromise is a slippery slope! 

Once you've begun to compromise, the temptation to compromise becomes more and more compelling! 

• "Well, you did it yesterday. Why not do it today?"
• "It's a small thing! No one will notice."
• "You deserve a little pleasure in your life! Go ahead and do it!"
• "God doesn't really keep track of every little sin. Go ahead and live a little!"
• "Just do it! You can confess it later!"

And within three short verses, Saul went from holding coats to dragging Christians from their homes!

It can happen to you! It has happened to you! We can NOT afford to compromise! Write that down on the flyleaf of your mind!

THE HOUND OF HEAVEN!

God's love for you is persistent! 

"The Lord is...patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance."  I Peter 3:9 [NASB]

When one of His sheep gets lost, He goes and searches for it!

When we have given in to sin, we immediately begin to sense God's displeasure! We begin to lose our joy! Guilt bears down on us. We lose that connection with God! Disorder begins to characterize our lives! 

If we're observant, we will see that God is reaching out to us and calling us to repentance! He wants us back in a right relationship with Him! He wants to use us for His glorious purposes!

If we allow Him,

"He restores my soul;

He guides me in the paths of righteousness for His name's sake."

[Psalm 23:3  NASB]

That inner peace is renewed in our lives! We know that we are back in a right relationship with our Lord! 

GOD REDEEMS US AND USES US FOR HIS PURPOSES!

Our amazing God took the zealous persecutor of Christians and appointed him as Judas' replacement among the Twelve!

No one saw this one coming! The original apostles were slow to accept Saul/Paul! They were afraid of him! They were suspicious of his intent! After all, this was the man who - almost single handedly - caused the Christians in Jerusalem to flee the city!

God will do the same in you - if you'll allow Him! 

Once cleansed, He will position you for influence! People will see the change in your life and will follow in your footsteps! They will want the peace, joy and assurance that you exhibit! 

Your spiritual impact will be magnified and your fruitfulness will be noticeable!

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Can God still do this? Is He still redeeming lives for His purposes?

ABSOLUTELY!

I recently re-read a book by Chuck Colson. He was President Nixon's 'hatchetman'. His intelligence and strategic manipulation was infamous! 

And yet - great was his fall!

From advisor to the president of the United States to the penitentiary!  In this evolution, a friend reached out to Colson with words of faith and encouragement. He was given a copy of C. S. Lewis' book, Mere Christianity. After reading it, he humbled himself and became a follower of Christ.

Colson never gave up on the 'down-and-outers'. He founded 'Prison Fellowship' which still reaches out to prisoners around the world with the transforming message of Christ! Colson rose to a new level of influence among the Christian community because of his brilliant mind and outspoken leadership! 

In the 20th century, God took another Saul and turned him into a dynamic and effective Paul!

He is able, more than able,
To accomplish what concerns me today.
He is able, more than able,
To handle anything that comes my way.
He is able, more than able,
To do much more than I could ever dream.
He is able, more than able,
To make me what He wants me to be.

Back in the 1980's, I was a big fan of the television program, HILL STREET BLUES. In almost every episode, Sergeant Phil Esterhaus ended the roll call by saying:

"All right, that's it. Let's roll.

And Hey! Let's be careful out there!"

It's equally important for us TO BE CAREFUL OUT THERE!

"Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.

But resist him, firm in your faith,...

the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself

perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish you.!"

[I Peter 3:9-10 NASB]

HOW DOES GOD SPEAK TO YOU?

I have a shelf in my home study where I have placed the top books [aside from the Bible] that have influenced me over the years. I have discovered that if an author writes a book that I benefit from, then I may also want to buy other books that they've written. Duh!

In the last church I served before going to China, I read David Platt's book, RADICAL. It transformed my thinking and energized my ministry! I immediately bought his follow-up book, RADICAL TOGETHER. These two books and their teaching catalyzed my ministry and significant growth in the Kingdom! 

A month ago, I bought another book of Platt's: COUNTER CULTURE. After reading over half of it, I became distracted by preparations for Family Camp. Another book was set on top of it, and I forgot I was even reading it. Since camp, I've read a couple of books and finally uncovered COUNTER CULTURE. I've been back to reading it for two days. 

After going to bed at 9:00 P.M. last night, I found myself wide awake at 3:30 AM. 🙄 After laying there a long time, my brain started working so I got up and went to my study. I finished Platt's book and am mesmerized by its impact on me!

All through my life, God has impacted me by the books that I've read. Many times, I've had a sense that He wanted me to read a certain book at a specific junction of my life! 

Many times the books that I read turned into sermon series that challenged me first, and hopefully others through their presentation. 

As I finished Platt's book in these early morning hours, I had a clear sense that I wasn't alone! 

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Do you have a clear sense of how God speaks to you? Can you discern when He's making His presence known?

It's a fair question. 

How do you know when God is dealing with you on a very personal level.

It's hard to describe, but I'm keenly aware when it's happening. For me, it involves three fairly specific modes.  

First, is that inner Voice that whispers into my mind. Sorry! I know that's intangible. But over the years, I've come to recognize the sound of that voice! It's not profuse. The thought/messages are brief and direct.

Second, these messages are repetitive! Not necessarily in quick succession. Actually sometimes they are somewhat distant from one another. But my mind clearly makes the connection, and I know that God is communicating with me!

Third, my reading confirms what God is trying to say to me! As already noted, when a book or article speaks to me with unmistakable clarity, it is the 'confirming word' for me!

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Just a couple of days ago, I sat with Debbie to inform her that God was initiating something new in my life. I tried to describe the things that were tipping me off to God's speaking into my life. She listened carefully. I could sense some apprehension and fear as I spoke. Perhaps this is because one of these conversations led us to northeast China for three years!!!!!  😊

She came into my study a few minutes ago and I intimated to her that I had been up half of the night reading and that God had been speaking to me with clarity. She slipped out pretty quickly! She's preparing to lead a women's Bible study this morning and wants to meditate on that before she leaves. I know that we'll talk later today.

I'm fully aware that I am in the early stages of God's call and clarification of His call. I can only report that I'm fully focused and highly excited. What might this adventure include? How will God move to change our lives? Will I be a fruitful branch? What changes in our lives might it necessitate? What will family and others think? Will we have the courage to step up to His call? Will we be willing to make the sacrifices that He may ask of us?

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How about you?

Do you listen for God's voice?

Are you aware of how He tends to communicate with you?

Since you're reading this blog, you probably talk TO Him a fair amount; but do you designate time to LISTEN TO HIM? 

If He could get your attention, what might He say to you? What might He put His finger on? 

Have you responded to His crystal clear instructions from His Word? 

Have you settled for contentment and complacency? Is there more you could be doing to advance His purposes? 

REMEMBER Matthew 7:13-14 [NASB]:

Enter through the narrow gate;

for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction,

and there are many who enter through it.

For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life,

and there are few who find it.

A SURE AND STRONG ANCHOR

My Bible reading today took me to Hebrews 6. It’s about growing in our faith and not turning back or becoming stagnant in our growth and faith.  Good stuff!

It also has strong words of encouragement, for instance:

God is fair; he will not forget the work you did and the love you showed for him by helping his people.

And he will remember that you are still helping them.

We want each of you to go on with the same hard work all your lives so you will surely get what you hoped for.

We do not want you to become lazy.

Be like those who through faith and patience will receive what God has promised. 

                                        [Hebrews 6:10-12]                                                                                                   [All Bible quotes from the NCV unless otherwise noted]

The chapter goes on to talk about oaths and promises. As I was reading this section this morning, I began to notice words that were familiar to me. The passage that triggered my memory follows:

These two things cannot change: God cannot lie when he makes a promise, and he cannot lie when he makes an oath. These things encourage us who came to God for safety. They give us strength to hold on to the hope we have been given. We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, sure and strong. It enters behind the curtain in the Most Holy Place in heaven, where Jesus has gone ahead of us and for us. He has become the high priest forever…[6:18-20]

Did any of this ring familiar with you?

You’d have to be an old guy like me and raised in a hymn-singing environment. 🙂

The following hymn, “We Have An Anchor”, was written by Priscilla J. Owens and published in 1882. She wrote a number of hymns that were targeted toward children; another was “We Have Heard A Joyful Sound”. She was of Scotch/Welsh descent and lived in Baltimore while teaching school for fifty years.

If you remember this old hymn, why not sing it instead of reading it?

To listen, click the following link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rirjItMxHjk

Will your anchor hold in the storms of life,
when the clouds unfold their wings of strife?
When the strong tides lift, and the cables strain,
will your anchor drift, or firm remain?

Refrain:
We have an anchor that keeps the soul
steadfast and sure while the billows roll;
fastened to the Rock which cannot move,
grounded firm and deep in the Savior’s love.

It is safely moored; 'twill the storm withstand,

for 'tis well-secured by the Savior's hand.

Though the tempest rage and the wild winds blow,

not an angry wave shall our boat o'erflow.

[Refrain]

When our eyes behold through the gath'ring night

the city of gold, our harbor bright,

we shall anchor fast by the heav'nly shore,

with the storms all past forevermore. [Refrain]

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These words are POWERFUL for those who may be passing through difficult times!

Our God is a Rock that cannot be moved!

If you've anchored to Him - rest in the fact that He's got you covered!

If you aren't sure about your relationship to Him - start talking to Him right now! He has loved you from the beginning and extends His mercy and grace to you even now when things are desperate!  Talk to Him like you would talk to anyone else! He's waiting and He's listening!  

If you desire help, send me a personal message. I'd be happy to talk or pray with you! I maintain an active Facebook page.  ;-)