An Anchor for My Soul

I've recently been overwhelmed by the world. It seems to me that everywhere I look is brokenness, that there is no moral compass. I see the choices that people are making and the destruction of lives and souls that comes from them, and I want to scream, "Can't you see that doing things our own way doesn't work?" And yet in today's culture, to tell anyone that their choices are wrong is unacceptable (unless they are hungry to truly do the right thing and have given you permission to speak freely). I feel like an old fogey longing for the good ol' days; the standards that I feel are right and honoring to God (and best for us) seem so old-fashioned. But I know the joy and the feeling of wholeness that God has brought as I have known His grace and walked in closer obedience to Him, and I think that 'old-fashioned" might just bring the life that I see our world craving.

When I look at the world and see only brokenness, my soul is burdened and weary. In some moments, this feeling leads me to compose angry blog posts in my mind, an "open letter" to the world around me, demanding change. In other moments, it leads me to despair and to begin to wonder where is this God that I worship?

But as always, the Lord sends me back to my old friend, The Psalms. Psalm 93 is only 5 verses long, but it speaks directly to my soul in times of chaos. The Lord reigns. Despite all around me that says God is not in control, the Lord reigns as King over all. Even though we all long to be king, to be the one in charge, God is on His throne and will not be removed. That is an anchor for my soul, a truth on which to stand my ground. But verses 3 and 4 describe how I feel – the seas are raging; the oceans are thundering. The image here is clear – chaos, powerlessness, fear in the face of something bigger than you. We all know that being seaside during a hurricane is not the ideal.

But God….But God is mightier than the chaos of the seas, mightier than the noise of their breakers, mightier than their crashing. The Lord on High is mighty. God is not moved by the chaos of sin, by the destruction of our choices. He is not made impotent by our stubborn resolve to do things our way. His ways are not corrupted by our unwillingness to follow. God remains the holy, good, and perfect King.

This is the truth that leads me to trust and hope. God is good. God is in charge. God is.