Our Anchor In The Storm

“Our infirmities become the black velvet on which the diamond of God’s love glitters all the more brightly.” - Spurgeon

I love this quote. I really do. I have never read anyone that can put such wonderful truths in the same way that Spurgeon can. The Lord gave him the ability to stir emotion and a sense of wonder in everything that he said. I challenge anyone to find a writer that speaks truth in love to the same degree and aptitude that Spurgeon did. Now you might be getting the sense that I am somewhat of a fanboy and to this I would quickly agree. What I am most impressed and encouraged by what is the quickness that Spurgeon would always point his congregation to Christ. This is the job of every preacher behind the pulpit. Spurgeon famously said,

“No Christ in your sermon sir? Then go home and never preach again till you have something worth preaching.”

This is probably my favorite quote of all time. It’s such a solid and shocking reminder for those of us that are given the privilege and responsibility of preaching God‘s word. Spurgeon was a man that practiced what he preached, but with all the wonder that he preached with, Spurgeon was a man that suffered from great heart ache, especially in the later part of his life. He was betrayed by his congregation as they strayed toward worldliness and he was left alone in the end, still pointing still to Christ. Yet through it all, Spurgeon never lost his faith in Christ or faltered in the preaching of the Gospel. Through the pain and suffering, Spurgeon remembered who his creator was and why he was put on this earth.

It’s a true and sobering fact that the glory of God’s goodness and mercy never shines so bright then when it is being experienced in the deep darkness of pain and suffering. God’s grace shines the brightest when our situation is the darkest. This is what makes the Gospel so wonderful. The darker the sin, the brighter God’s grace shines. Our infirmities and suffering are the very backdrop that showcases the might and power of our sovereign God. Never do we realize the incredible power and majesty of God then when we understand our own immense incapability.

I understand that the pain and suffering can seem unendurable. There are times in our lives when there seems to be no end in sight and the backdrop of our suffering seems to engulf the light of God’s grace. However, even in the midst of darkness, do not forget this one important truth. The light will always appear the darkness. The darkness will never be strong enough to overcome the glory of God in His perfect sovereignty. Through the storms of life and the pain that comes with them, we have hope. We have Jesus. We have the Gospel of Christ that we cling to like a bulwark in the raging ocean.

We serve a God that has a voice to shatter mountains, yet has a whisper to calm our fears. We serve a God that has arms to tear the wicked apart in their rebellion, yet lifts us up when we cry to Him. We have a God who has a name that causes the His enemies to tremble and armies to flee, yet He tells us to call him Father. We have a God that commands the host of heaven, has defeated sin, Satan, and death itself, yet reaches down and pulls us close like the scared children that we are. That is the God that we serve. That is the God that we call Father. Rom 8:38-39 says,

“For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

This is the light that pierces the darkness. This is the hope that we have in our suffering. This is the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the assurance of salvation. This is the power of God indwelling in us. There is no storm, suffering, pain or torment that can separate us from the love of Christ. When the storms of life hit, turn to the source of your strength. Turn to the anchor in the storm and the light on the horizon. Turn to Christ and trust fully in Him and His all powerful, sufficient grace.

“O dear friend, when thy grief presses thee to the very dust, worship there!” - Spurgeon