We’re busy with a short series looking at how Paul’s life can help us to live life right today as real children of God. Timothy also followed Paul like this: ¹⁰… a part of my teaching, my manner of life, direction, faith, steadiness, love, patience … Let’s look at faith now.

Paul’s faith was rock solid. Paul made sure that his faith was anchored in the Rock, God our Father, with chains. The winds could shake and pull. The biggest waves could crash. One curve ball after another could come flying, but nothing could push Paul off his feet. He was tied too firmly to the Rock.

I was standing on a pier in Rotterdam, waiting for a water taxi to take me to the other side. As I waited, a huge cargo ship suddenly came right at me. Man, I got a fright, but then I realised that the ship was in the process of docking next to me.

I’ve never seen the process this close up and it was fascinating. Ropes were thrown from the deck of the ship high above me to men down below on the pier. As soon as they caught the ropes, they started pulling down thick ropes, thicker than my thighs, and looping them around a bollard, which is thick, mushroom-shaped steel anchor embedded in the dock.

On the deck of the ship are machines that pull the ropes tight. The winds and waves don’t have a chance of moving the ship, because it’s firmly anchored to mother earth.

And I suspect this is where we sometimes fail with our faith. Maybe our boats are too far out for us to hang onto mother earth. Maybe we don’t even know about tying up our boats and that’s why we’re bobbing from side-to-side. When the winds come and the waves start crashing all over us, then it becomes crisis time and we feel like sinking.

You can ask any seaman. When you’re at sea, you will sail into a big storm one time or another. You must be prepared for it. You must know what to do, otherwise the storm will cripple you.

It’s the same in life: Fine weather and flat water are not guaranteed. There will be storms. We must be prepared and know what to do. The first step is to tie the anchor of our boat of life to God and Jesus.

We must build our faith on the overflowing love God has for each of us. That’s a fact. God loves each of us so much that He was prepared to sacrifice his Son. Through grace, Jesus takes our punishment. Yes, we would’ve been punished for our sin by death, but Jesus was punished in our place. So, when we leave this earth one day, we can walk into Eternity and sit at the feast table with Jesus. That is what we believe.

We must hold onto this with everything inside us, like those thick ropes that anchor the ship to the dock. That enormous ship is anchored firmly and cannot be moved. The winds and storms can come. That ship is going nowhere.

May we make our ropes of faith stronger and stronger. May we face life and its storms, not because we think we’re strong enough (because we’re definitely not), but because we know and believe that we’re anchored in the Almighty Father and that his Son Jesus, is our brother and that his Spirit is here inside us and will support and help us to push all the way through the storm.

Scripture
2 Tim 3:10-13

Reflection
How thick is the rope of your faith?
What do you have to do differently for your faith to hold you?

Prayer
Our Father. I confess that You are my Father. I believe that Jesus has died for my sin. I really do believe, even though I struggle sometimes when things go bad. Please let your spirit help me not allow uncertainty and the world around me to steal my faith. I honour You. Amen.