The Christian life is depicted as a perilous voyage across a tempestuous sea, fraught with darkness, uncertainty, winds of adversity, and treacherous rocks of unbelief and lusts. However, believers are assured of safe arrival in their heavenly home through four divine anchors: divine possession, signifying belonging to God; divine purpose, highlighting God's unthwartable plan; divine presence, emphasizing God's constant companionship; and divine protection, assuring safety even in the smallest details. These anchors provide security and hope amidst life's trials, encouraging believers to long for the coming day of Christ's return and eternal rest.
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Nice again to see a good number. We appreciate folks coming from Korea and perhaps other places. We've enjoyed the nights together. Unfortunately, everything must come to a close here. have to get home within the next few days to begin gospel meetings a week from Sunday, but we've enjoyed having this spell with you and trust that there will be lasting blessing. Let us turn tonight to the Acts of the Apostles, chapter twenty-seven. Acts chapter twenty-seven, please.
And verse fourteen. you happen to have a scope for your Bible, you'll notice the title of this portion is The Storm. And this incident here, or the incidents linked together, we'll follow what we looked at last night. Verse fourteen of chapter twenty-seven, but not long after there arose against it a tempestuous wind called Eurichliden, and when the ship was caught and could not bear up into the wind, we let her drive, and running under a certain island, which is called Clawda, we had much work to come by the boat, which when they had taken up they used helps undergirding the ship, and fearing lest they should fall into the quicksand, strike sail, and so were driven.
And we being exceedingly tossed. You notice some of these expressions. In verse fourteen a tempestuous wind. And then in verse seventeen they're driven. Now verse eighteen we being exceedingly tossed with a tempest. The next day they lighten the ship. And the third day we cast out with our own hands the tackling of the ship. And when neither sun nor stars in many days appeared and no small tempest lay on us, all hope that we should be saved was then taken away. Now, I'd like to pause there just for a moment. When you read verse twenty, these are not Paul's words. These are the words of Luke, the writer of the book.
He says, all hope that we should be saved was then taken away. Now we have Paul's answer. But after long abstinence Paul stood forth in the midst of them and said, Sir, he should have hearken unto me a lot of loose from Crete and to have gained this harm and loss. And now I exhort you to be of good cheer, for there shall be no loss of any man's life among you but of the ship. For there stood by me this night the angel of God, whose I am and whom I serve, saying, Fear not, Paul, thou must be brought before Caesar. And lo, God hath given thee all them that sail with thee. Wherefore, sirs, be of good cheer, for I believe God, that it shall be even as it was told me, howbeit we must be cast upon a certain island.
But when the fourteenth night was come, as we were driven up and down in Adria about midnight, the shipmen deemed that they drew near to some country. and sounded upon it twenty fathoms, and when they had gone a little further, they sounded again upon the fifteen fathoms, then fearing that we should have fallen upon rocks, they cast four anchors out of the stern and wished for the day. And as the shipmen were about to flee out of the ship, when they had let down the boat into the sea under color, as though they would have cast anchors out of the four ships. Paul said to the centurion to the soldiers, Except these abide in the ship, ye cannot be saved. Then the soldiers cut off the ropes of the boat, and let her fall off.
And while the day was coming on, Paul besought them all to take meat, saying, This day is the fourteenth day that ye have carried, and continued fasting, having taken nothing. Wherefore, I pray you to take some meat. For this is for your health, for there shall not a hair fall from the head of any of you. And when he had thus spoken, he took bread and gave thanks to God in the presence of them all. And when he had broken it, he began to eat, and they were, then were they all a good cheer, and they also took some meat, and we were in all, all in the ship, two hundred, three-score, and sixteen souls. And when they had eaten enough, they lightened the ship, and cast out the wheat into the sea. And when it was day, they knew not the land, but they discovered a certain creek with a shore into which they were minded if it were possible to thrust in the ship.
When they had taken up the anchors, they committed themselves into the sea and loosed the rudder bands and hoist up the mainsail to the wind and made toward shore. Falling into a place where two seas met, they ran the ship, the ground, and the four parts ducked fast and remained unmovable, but the hinder part was broken with the violence of the waves. And the soldiers' counsel was to kill the prisoners, that any of them should swim out and escape. but the centurion willing to save Paul kept them from their purpose and commanded that they which could swim should cast themselves first into the sea and get to land and the rest some on boards and some on broken pieces of the ship so it came to pass they escaped all safe to land I think this is a very interesting very thrilling story the very reading of this chapter is very interesting and suggested even apart from any ministry associated with it I like the end of this chapter they Lastly, words are safe to land, and we love to sing, I shall reach heaven at last.
Heaven is my home. And on Monday night we noticed that the way to heaven is pictured in the form of a journey through the wilderness, over the land, with the streams and the valleys and the brooks to sustain us, and then the well. Last night it was the voyage over the tempestuous sea, and here again tonight we have the voyage, which illustrates our voyage. over life's tempestuous sea, but ending safely in heaven's shore. We love to sing Jesus' Savior, pardon me, over life's tempestuous sea, unknown ways before me roll, hiding rock and treacherous shore. Now some of the elements here would remind us definitely of some of the things we noticed last night.
There was a dark night. We read that in verse twenty, neither sun nor stars in many days appeared. Either sun nor stars in Many days appeared. There was darkness. There was a dark night. And then, of course, there was the quicksand. They feared the quicksand, the deceptive quicksand. And then there was the dangerous rocks. They feared the rocks. And then there was the destructive wind. We read about the tempestuous wind, the quicksand. They would exceedingly toss the darkness, the tempest, the rocks, and in verse forty-one, the violence of the waves.
Now, when we put all these together, do we not see a portrait before our eyes, the voyage of the Christian today? We sang last night, midst the darkness, storm and sorrow, one's life, leave my seed. Well, I know the blessed tomorrow of Christ will come for me. Now there is a picture here, of course, of the church, if you will, following its way through the rough seas, but it also portrays the life of God's people not only collectively, but individually. There are things here that are very interesting. It says they drew near to some country. Thank God we're drawing here to our heavenly country. And heaven is our home. And then it says that they wished for the day.
And verse thirty-three it says while the day was coming on. And verse thirty-nine says it was day. And verse forty says they made toward shore. Verse forty and verse forty-four says they were safe to land. What a picture then of the Christians. Amidst the darkness and the storm and the tempest and the quicksand and the rocks and all the dangers that surrounds the day we're making toward heaven's shore. We're wishing for the day and the day is coming. The day is going to dawn and then farewell forever to this dark and dreary night. And so we see then portrayed before our eyes tonight in this chapter the voyage of the Christian home to glory.
Now there was a darkness of uncertainty. And this encompasses us today. Sometimes we can't see ahead, and God has it ordained that way. God kindly veils our lives. And there's so much uncertainty today, and we wonder, as far as human events are concerned, what the unknown morrow will bring. We know what our eternal morrow is going to bring, but we know not from day to day, but we leave our hand in the hand of God. And then there's the winds of adversity and disturbance and the waves. We suggested last night the waves of national distress. My they're roaring today, aren't they? And the waves of church disturbance and the waves of family difficulties and the waves of personal trials and discouragement.
So there's the wind and the waves and the tempest and the dark night of uncertainty. And in the midst of all this we find ourselves in our little frail bark. But thank God we're sailing home and we're going to reach heaven at last for heaven is our home. Now you see the picture here, and I want you to notice now verse twenty-nine. Then fearing this we should have fallen upon rocks. They cast four anchors out of the stern and wished for the day. You see the danger here, there was the rocks. And we're in danger constantly, beloved Christian, as we sail home. Paul says, for instance, he writes like this, holding faith in the good conscience, which some having put away concerning the faith have made shipwreck.
They were shipwrecked on the rock of unbelief. The rocks have a bad conscience because of not holding their faith. Then Paul writes like this, Many hurtful and foolish lusts which drown men in discouragement, which drown men in destruction, rather I mean to say. And so as a result of these hurtful and foolish lusts and covetousness referred to, many glossier people are being Drowned, if you will. Their souls will be saved, but as their testimonies, they're being drowned. So there's the rocks of danger that we need to fear as we sail over life's tempestuously. Unbelief, a loss of our faith, covetousness, lusts, worldliness, and many things like the rocks that are there, treacherous shoal and hiding rock and unknown waves.
as we sing before me roll, and that was their fear. And this is our constant fear from day to day. And this is why I say we pray as we sing Jesus, Savior, pardon me, there's always the rocks, and there's the quicksand, and we need to keep our eye upon Christ. But now I want to notice again verse twenty-nine, fearing that we should have fallen upon rocks, they cast four anchors out of the stern and wished for the day. What I would like to do tonight is take this particular verse and give a spiritual application and look at it this way. First of all, I would suggest the Christians' anticipation.
They wish for the day. That's on anticipation of the day. The day of his coming. And then secondly, the Christian's attitude, it says they wish for the day. They long for the day. It was an ardent longing, I believe the word suggests here. They were counting the hours, they were counting the minutes. Oh, when will the day appear? They wish for the day. The night seems so long. And that's their attitude, if you will, wishing for the day. And the third thing is the Christian anchor. And I want to speak on these three thoughts tonight from this verse. The Christian's anticipation and the Christian's attitude and the Christian's anchor. Now it says they wish for the day. You know, there's an expression in the New Testament that occurs frequently, and it's the expression, that day.
Now, if I were to sit down and write a letter to an unconverted person and just refer to that day, they'd write back and say, Mr. Eager, what do you mean by that day? But now if next week, for some reason, you got a letter from me and I just referred to that day in parentheses, you wouldn't write back and say, Brother Eager, what are you talking about that day? You know what it means. There's only one meaning to the expression that day in the heart and thought of a child of God is the day of his appearing. Paul speaks of that day and they wish for the day and thank God the day is coming. I am waiting for the dawning of that bright and blessed day when this darksome night of sorrow will have passed away. And that is our blessed anticipation of the day.
And as we noticed last night, we're in the fourth watch of the night. We're just before the dawn of day. Just before the dawn of day. I remember while over in Scotland, where they sing so well. And I was having meetings in this large assembly in a little town in northern Scotland, the way up in the northeast coast. And these Scotch folks sang that hymn, it must be the breaking of the day. My soul was thrilled. I sat there and wept as I heard them sing. The break of day, the breaking of the day, and we're waiting for the dawn of that bright and blessed, and thank God it's an eternal day, and thank God it's a day without clouds. Not a cloud shall dim the sky in that day. And so they wish for the day.
It is the day, as we know it, the other day of his return. With all the associated blessings that will accompany the coming of the Lord, best of all, we look for him. We look for him. We're waiting for the Lord from heaven, and we're going to see him face to face in all his beauty and glory. And this is why we sing, I'm waiting for thee, Lord, thy beauty to see, Lord. Yes, we're waiting for the new body and the rest and all the rest. I were waiting to see this world cleansed, if you will, on the end of wars and righteousness reigning. Oh, there are many great things we look for and hope for, but beyond above all, it's that first sight, that blessed sight of Him.
The day of His appearing, the day of His return. Let us be pointed out, it's the day of our redemption. We shall be perfect. We shall be complete. We shall be fully conformed to the image of God's dear Son. Now that's more at times than our hearts can take in, that we shall be fully like Christ. You know, so often we long to be more like him. We sing more like Jesus. But sometimes we just deplore ourselves unintentionally. We ask and speak in a way that's so unlike Christ. We don't intend to do so, but there's still that within us which causes it. But in that day we'll be completely conformed to the image of God's Son in every detail, like His Son.
And that's the final purpose of our redemption. And thank God it is a day of glorious reunion. We shall meet those who have gone before. What a day that will be. How we long to see them, how we miss them. But we'll see them face to face. We'll meet them again in that glorious day. And you know, we've already noticed this thought as well as the day of glorious revelation. When the dark things shall be banished and... The dark things shall all be made plain. You know, the night season is associated with mystery and darkness, and there are things we can't understand in the night. It isn't good to try and work out problems in the night because we're not able to.
The night is associated with mystery and difficulty, and we can't seem to solve things during the night season, but when the morning comes, everything is different. And my, in that bright and glorious morning, everything shall be clear and plain in the light of the glory of his presence. And we'll understand the way he left. all the way he left. All his patient grace. And why this and why that crossed our pathway. It will be the day of revelation. And thank God it will be the day of eternal rest. We shall rest forever. And nothing shall mar that rest. And it will be the day of course of reward for all we've done for him the little things we've done for him shall all be rewarded and repaid in that day not the great things in a public way but the little things our faithfulness to him and our love to him even a tear shed for him shall be remembered and repaid in that day and thank God that it will be the day when Christ shall reign and he shall reign as king of kings and lord of lords and the dominion and the government thank God shall be in his hands and he'll reign as the prince of peace and his glory and his peace shall cover the earth.
Now that's our blessed hope. And the day is about to dawn, isn't it? The day is nearing. And as we suggested on Monday night, let us pitch our tent toward the break of day, toward the sunrise, waiting, longing, looking for the coming of our Lord Jesus. Now that's the Christians' anticipation of the day. But secondly, in our little verse, we notice the Christians' attitude, they wish for the day. And I understand, again I repeat that word, it's a very ardent word, if you will. It's they urgently wish for the day. Ah, they long to see the first ray of the morning.
And you know this should be our attitude as God's dear people. Oh well, we believe in the pre-millennial return of Christ. Well, thank God for that. on the pre-tribulation. And thank God for that. And we affirm to believe that Jesus is coming back and he's coming back personally. Well, that's good to believe in. But you know, I wonder, do we really long for it? Are we half asleep when we sing Jesus is coming, sing the glad word? Oh, yes, he's coming all right, but are we really on the tiptoe of expectation with our eyes lifted up and our very chin, for that's the word, our head lifted up? I remember a few years ago our daughter had been away for a number of months and we were long at the seer and finally that expected a letter arrived that she was going to return home in about a month.
And when we got that letter and saw the writing, her own handwriting, I'm coming home in about a month, we believed that we believed she was coming and that was good. But we not only believed that we began to wait for her coming. And when the last week arrived, I'll tell you, we began to await with real expectancy for the return of our loved one. And finally, the last night, and we were to wait right and early. And she didn't appear at the hour she intended to arrive, and perhaps I'm a little restless anyway, I just couldn't take any longer. I went out on the porch to look down the street to see when that car would turn the corner. I wasn't lying in my bed waiting for her.
I was out in the porch looking, longing. I wonder, is that our attitude? Are we out in the porch, as it were? Not half asleep. I'm singing half asleep. Jesus is coming again. But, oh, come, Lord Jesus. Now, I know there is sometimes the associated sadness, as perhaps we think of loved ones who are not saved. I realize that. But at the same time, because we love him, we long to see him face to face, don't we? My, you know, world condition should make us cry, come, Lord Jesus, there's nothing right in the world and nothing can be right. And there's not a bit of use for us to cause people to get embroiled with the politics of the world.
We're not going to put things right. Maybe there are better men that could be put in office. I know that, but things are not going to be right. The best of men are only men at the best. And there's not going to be anything but corruption and violence according to the word of God. We appreciate the men we have in office and we pray for them. But as far as the world is concerned, why there's no hope? The coming of the Lord is our hope because of the world conditions and because of church conditions. Now we don't like to deplore these conditions. We don't like to be pessimists, but things are changing. There is declension. There is departure. There is failure.
There could be a small measure of recovery, but we're near in the end. May the Lord keep us faithful, but we long to see him appear, and he's going to take his waiting people home. He's going to take the church he died for home. And then, of course, because most of all, we want to see him. We long to see him. That's why we cry, come, Lord Jesus. We have seen him by the eye of faith. Again and again in the Lord's day morning we gather around his table and we see him. And my that's a precious That's a precious place to be. Hear, O our Lord, we see thee face to face. I think we sang that Sunday morning. But there's still the veil between.
There's still the cloud between. But when he appears, the veil will be gone and there'll not be a cloud between. We're not a cloud between to see him face to face. And so we long to see him. Oh, look, we might be in this attitude. Fitching our tent towards the sunrise. Come, Lord Jesus. not only believing in the truth of his coming, not only waiting for his coming, but looking and longing, waiting. And the tiptoe of expectation is that we'll be looking when he appears. And so that's the Christian's attitude, wishing for the break of day, wishing for the day.
But now it says here in verse twenty-nine, they cast four anchors. Now I'm going to spiritualize this thought tonight, and from this chapter, I want to look at the four anchors that we as it were can lay hold of. You say, well, our hope is very bright. Jesus is coming again. It will put an end to our sorrow and all our fears and all our discouragement and all the rest. But what about the intervening time? What about the sorrows and the burdens and the trials and the heartaches in between? What about the dangers, the quicksands, the rocks, the tempest? Now, thank God we have these spiritual anchors.
And we'll note the four anchors in this chapter. Now the first anchor is found, go back to verse twenty three. Verse twenty three, Paul's words. For there stood by me this night the angel of God, whose I am, and whom I serve. And so we'll call anchor number one, the anchor of divine possession, says Paul, whose I am. It says, Paul, I belong to him. There stood by me this night the angel of God, whose I am and whom I have served. I belong to God. I'm his possession. And I'm in his hand. While I'm in this boat with all the dangers, I'm in his hand, the anchor of divine possession.
Now, isn't this a good anchor to lay hold of tonight to realize I belong to him? And do we not love to sing, now I belong to Jesus, and Jesus belongs to me. Why, if I could just get a grip with this oppression my soul tonight, I'm God's property. I belong to him, body, soul, and spirit. I am purchased by the blood, and I do not belong to myself. I belong to him, and I'm his possession, and he's caring for his possession, and he'll not rest until he has his possession safely home. That's what we read of in Ephesians, the redemption of the purchased possession. But says, Paul, whose I am, whose I am, the anchor of divine possession. Thank God we're his by divine choice.
We're his by calling. We're his by our choice. So we are to be his in holy consecration. Now this, first of all, brings us the reality of salvation. I belong to him in salvation. I'm saved. and save for eternity. But this also, thank God, suggests our security. He's holding me. And thank God He paid the price for me and for you, and He's holding us, and He's keeping us, and He will keep us to the end. And we're His divine property, and we can sing tonight, O love, that will not let me go. I belong to Him. I'm His property. You know, I think if I could grasp this tonight as I should, I wouldn't go home and lie awake worrying about the future or worrying about what's going to happen if I realize I'm in his hands and I'm safe in his hands and I'm his very own and I'm very dear to him because he purchased me by his blood.
And you know the Lord Jesus said, I give unto my sheep his possession, eternal life and they shall never perish. Neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. There's a dear old brother down in the south and Someone said to him once, well, do you ever feel the power of Satan trying to tempt you and trying to turn you away and trying to destroy your testimony? Oh, yes, he says, I do again and again. Well, what do you do, he says, when the devil tackles you and seeks to destroy your testimony and your joy? He says, I just turn my eyes to the Lord and I cry, Lord, help me. The devil is tampering with your property.
I thought that's pretty good. The devil is tampering with your property. Now we're his property. We're divine property. He is going to keep us to the very end. But you know, this involves as well submission. If I'm his, I belong to him. I'm his to love and his to serve and his to obey. This is very practical. And I want you young folks to get a hold of this. Oh, I know we get together and we sing, I'm perhaps far too glibly. Now I belong to Jesus, and Jesus belongs to me. Not for the years of time alone, but throughout all eternity, yes. But says, Paul, you're not your own. You're bought with a price, therefore glorified God in your body. You see, there's something very practical about this thought of divine possession.
Oh, yes, I'm his. I'm saved. Thank God for that. I'm his, and I'm secure. Thank God for that. Nothing can destroy the child of God. but I am to be his in holy submission. I am to all his claims upon me. Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? That is acknowledging that I belong to him. That is associated with this thought of divine possession. And you know, it involves suffering. The Lord, God said to his people long ago, I redeem thee, thou art mine. Divine possession. But the very next breath, if you will, he says, when thou pass us to the waters I will be with thee I thank God that we're just as much his property when we're in deep sorrow when we're in the trial when we're in the darkness do we still belong to him we do ah that's when the devil comes and says now are you God's child and if you if you are God's child would God allow this yes he does when thou pass us to the waters so were his for security his for submission His in blessed satisfaction, but His in holy submission.
Are we going to acknowledge His claims? Lord, I am thine. I belong to thee. I am thine, O Lord. Take possession of me. This is salvation. This is redemption. Oh, thank God, we're saved from hell, but we're saved to serve. We're saved to acknowledge in our lives from day to day that we're not our own and to yield. to the loving craves of Christ, unhesitating me, without any question, Lord, what will I have me to do? This is all involved. But here's one anchor, and I think it's a good anchor. The anchor of divine possession, I belong to him. He's holding me. He's keeping me. He's caring for me. And he's going to have me safely home. Not one is going to be lost.
He'll have his possession at home. My, this is a wonderful insurance policy. It gives us sweet security, this anchor of divine possession. But now notice the second anchor in our chapter. And we'll call that the anchor of His divine purpose. And I want you to read verse twenty-three and twenty-four again. For there stood by me this night, the angel of God, whose I am, and whom I serve, saying, Fear not, Paul. Now notice. thou must be brought before Caesar and though God have given thee all them that sail with thee. Now I see here the anchor of God's divine purpose. God decreed and God purposed that Paul and all that were with him should arrive in Rome.
Thou must be brought before Caesar. Now when God says thou must, nothing could form the purposes of God. Now again, This is something we often find it hard to take in. Do we really believe that God's purposes are all decreed and God's purposes are all going to be realized in our life? Yes, I think we do. We try to at least. His heart is planned. Your path and mine have faith in God. Have faith always, we sing. And God has purpose. and God's purposes shall not be thwarted or hindered or interfered with by all the power of the world or the power of Satan. His purposes will ripen past unfolding every hour.
The bud may have a bitter taste, but sweet will be the flower, and says, Paul, in response to the assurance of the divine purpose, thou must. Paul, you're in danger. You're in danger of being lost. The ship is going to be smashed to pieces. These soldiers are going to try and kill you. Everything is against you, Paul. But thou must, thou must be brought before Caesar. And all that are with me. Now, says Paul, I believe God. I'll tell you, he believed God in the face of very, very difficult circumstances, didn't he? How could that be? But God says thou must. Look, let me please for a moment of verse forty-two. See, the purposes of men, of man.
And the soldiers' counsel was to kill the prisoners. That would include Paul, lest any of them should swim out and escape. But the centurion willing to say, Paul noticed he kept them from their purpose. Why? Because God had another purpose. Now, if these soldiers carried out their purpose, they would have killed the prisoners, including Paul. And Paul wouldn't have reached Rome. But God says thou must. And the purposes of man were defied and destroyed, because God's purpose must stand. Thank God, all the powers of hell cannot withstand or thwart or hinder the fulfillment of God's divine purposes.
God says, I have decreed. He says, I know the beginning from the end, and we can rest there tonight. Isn't that an anchor? Isn't that an anchor of the soul? Not can come but what his hand allows. His heart, his hand, his plan. And God says it's going to be just as I have planned. And God will fulfill all his counsels, and God will carry out his will. And in doing so, I say, he'll defy the powers of hell. He'll defy the powers of man. All conditions will be defied by the mighty God. And in the face I say, of these impossible conditions, when it seemed impossible for Paul to survive and reach Rome, God says, thou must, thou must, thou must.
Oh, I think if I could get a hold of that anchor tonight. I would feel very safe and secure that God's purposes would all be realized, all be fulfilled in my life and you take it in as well. Now that's the second anchor, the anchor of God's divine purpose. Now the third anchor in our chapter. And we'll go back again to verse twenty three. For there stood by me. Stop right there. What is this? The anchor of God's divine presence. There was Paul, a way out in the stormy sea in the shipwreck, and who could reach him there? Well, God could reach him there. The Lord Jesus knew where to reach his own on that lake.
We noticed last night didn't he? He knew just when to come and where to come. He didn't have to find out where they were. He knew just where they were. He was the omniscient one. And Paul says, there stood by me. Notice this night. Isn't that nice? There stood by me this night. That's when you need somebody with you. In the daytime you kind of feel a little bit secure. You feel you can walk alone, but when you're in trial and trouble and sorrow, my, it's nice to have somebody with you in the night, isn't it? That's when you can get very lonely. I know wherever I speak. We have traveled for many years. We found ourselves in very, very lonely places. I remember the first time I went up to Alaska to help the saints up there. I was staying miles out in the country alone.
Why I felt so lonely. That's when you appreciate the nearness of the Lord, the realization of His presence. This, Paul, there stood by me this night. And that's when the Lord is so ready and at hand to stand by it there stood by me. Now this is the anchor of His divine presence. By what a presence this is. A securing presence. Yes, a subduing presence. and it's a sanctifying presence and thank God it's a sustaining presence, isn't it? I must have the Savior with me for I dare not walk alone. My His presence is preserving in our walk, isn't it?
It's productive in our work. Yes, it's preserving in our warfare. Oh, this divine presence Was it Mr. Wesley who said, best of all, God is with us? I think it was Mr. Livingston, David Livingston, when he had to part with his wife in dark Africa. And writing about it later, I think he put it this way, he says, when I saw the body of my beloved partner, my beloved wife, going down to the grave, he said, I would gladly have thrown myself in beside her, were it not for the assuring word to the Lord. Lo, I'm with you always. There stood with me.
Paul said on one occasion, no man stood with me, but the Lord stood with me. Now we should stand with one another whenever possible. We should always try to get to the side of a child of God when they're in sorrow or trouble and trial. This is a wonderful ministry and not forget them. Stay right at their side if possible and try to support them for they need the human proper as well. But there are times when no one can be with us. And when all alone in the dark night with the tempest and the rocks and all the rest. Oh, how precious to know we have the assurance that the Lord is with us. What a presence that is. How it preserves us. How it sustains us. How it strengthens us. How it cheers us. It says, Well, there stood by me this night, saying, Fear not.
And because of that presence, he said, Be of good cheer. It cheered his own heart. And it... He passed on that year to others. I will never, never leave thee. My this is anchor number three. Anchor number one, the anchor of God's divine possession. I belong to him. Anchor number two, the strong anchor of God's divine and alterable, untailing purpose. And number three, the anchor of God's unchanging presence there stood by me. Now the fourth anchor, We look at verse thirty-four. Wherefore I pray you to take some meat.
Well, this is for your health. For there shall not a hair fall from the head of any of you. We're going to call this the anchor of divine protection. There shall not a hair fall from the head of any of you. You know, the Lord Jesus said, there shall not a hair of your head perish. The very hairs of your head are numbered. Now, I suppose this is symbolic language. I wonder what the Lord, or what Paul meant here, there shall not a hair fall from the head of any of you. I think this is what he meant. I don't think he was referring to the literal hairs. You know, the loss of a hair is a very small thing, isn't it? You don't go home and try if a hair comes out of your head, unless too many come out at once, maybe.
It is a very small insignificant thing in losing a hair, but the Lord says, The very hairs of your head are numbered, and there shall not a hair fall. Hear from the head of any of you. I think what Paul meant was you're going to be preserved in every little detail, not the slightest mishap. You'll not even lose a hair. So wondrous, so complete is God's protection tonight, and God's purpose, and God's promise. For that's an anchor, too. Paul... I pray you to take some meat, for this is for your health. For there shall not a hair fall from the head of any of you.
What is this? This is the anchor, shall we call it again, of divine protection. By we have a God who is going to protect us. I remember some years ago saying with a brother in Cleveland, Ohio, Brother Pile, I've been Privileged to stay with that family for over thirty years, and they have a large bakery. At that time, it wasn't so large. Now it's quite a large outfit. Brother Kyle Sr. has gone home to be with the Lord. But in those days, there was only three or four stores when I first stayed with them. And on Saturday night, the proceeds, the cash and currency from the stores was brought to the house. And it was kept in the house every Saturday night.
He had a place where he kept it. And on Lord's Day morning on the way to the meeting, he stopped at the bank and he dropped the bag down the chute there. And one Sunday morning we pulled up in front of that bank and he got out of the car with this bag and of course there was a little boy standing there and I guess the boy knew what it was. And he says, Mr. are you covered? Brother Pyle says, yes, my boy, I'm well covered. He didn't have a gun in his pocket and we didn't have a gun and there was no detective in the car. But he was covered. by he was sheltered by the wings, wasn't he? He was covered. I read the story about two men who were traveling by train, and it was in the day when people began to build these bomb fallout shelters.
We were afraid of the atomic bomb falling, and these two men were traveling into the city on the commuter train, and one of them was a Christian, and one wasn't. And the man who wasn't a Christian, he began the conversation. He said, you know, I started to build a or whether he said, I have completed the building of a shelter out in the back. Were they called fallout shelters? I guess they were built on the ground. Well, the other man says, that's good. He says, I've got my shelter built too. He said, what did you build yours out of? He said, I built mine out of feathers. The man thought he lost his mind. He built the shelter out of feathers by the other man used the strongest concrete possible. And he read that verse under his wings. He shall cover them with his feathers and under his wings shall not trust.
Oh, I'll tell you, we're in good hands, aren't we? We're under divine protection. As the brother in Cleveland says, we're well covered. We're well covered. Now, I know there are human dangers. Now, we're living in a day when our sisters, and you can't blame them, are almost afraid to go out at night alone, especially in the cities. That's true. But nevertheless, the overall picture is we're well covered. And so, these are the four anchors that we're going to close very shortly and let you out in good time tonight. The first anchor is, and let us lay hold of these anchors tonight. It says they cast the four anchors and wish for a day. The anchor of divine possession. Let's get a hold of that tonight. No matter what comes on his property, I belong to him and he's going to keep me to the end.
Secondly, the anchor of his divine purpose, he has decreed. He has purpose. He has spoken. And his purposes shall be carried out in our lives to the very end. Thirdly, the anchor of his divine presence there stood by me. I will never leave thee nor forsake thee. And fourth, the anchor of God's divine protection under the shelter of his wings. What blessed anchors these are, fearing lest we should fall upon the rocks, says Paul. They cast four anchors out of the stern and wish for the day. The day is coming. Let us long for that day.
Keep what eyes have worn. But until He appears, may we just as it were lay hold of these four anchors. We sing, we have an anchor that keeps the soul steadfast and sure while the billows roll. Fasten to the rock which cannot move. Drown is firm and deep. The Savior's love. And soon, very soon, perhaps there we meet again. We'll meet on yonder shore and the night will be passed. there be no more winds and no more waves and thank God no more rocks will be safe at home to enjoy his presence for all eternity but in the meantime we are well provided for we have this blessed security may we lay hold of it and enjoy it afresh appreciated day by day until we see him face to face let us pray our father we thank you of all these pictures in thy word that Portrayed before our eyes the journey and the voyage of thy children, waiting for the break of day, waiting for heaven's shore.
We close our reading tonight with the words, they arrive safe at land. We thank that we are going to arrive safely on that shore. Not one shall be lost. Not one of thy dear children will all be there. And we thank thee on that shore, no wave shall ever beat, and no wind shall ever blow. There's no sea there, and there'll be a place of peace and glorious perfection as we bask in the sunshine of thy presence and gaze upon our blessed Lord. But our God we all recognize that in the meantime, that it is the dark night, that it is the violent tempest, that are the adverse winds, that are other quicksands, that are other rocks.
for all these dangers. We thank before these blessed, divine anchors, the anchor of divine possession that we are thine, thy very own, purchased by the blood, the anchor of thy divine purpose, our life all planned and purpose, and the anchor of thy constant presence, and the anchor of thy sure protection over us. We thank before these thoughts tonight and pray to Make them a blessing to us and strengthen us. Remember, those who are young in Christ, may they lay hold of these blessings. If there should be any in the audience are God who are unsaved, may they lay hold of Christ as the anchor of their soul and depend only on him as they trust him.
Now we pray thy blessing as we close tonight. Pray thy blessing upon thy people here and this assembly and the assemblies in the area. Thank you for the conference we enjoy together for the ministry of thy word. We thank you for our fellowship through the week. Pray that these meditations from thy word might at this time in our lives be a real strength and help and encouragement to us. Enable us our God to go on for thee ever, pitching our tent toward the sunrise, wishing for the break of day. We pray for those at sorrow. We pray for those who are lonely, having been bereaved of loved ones. We pray for those who are