The Anchor Of Our Souls

Many a believer has faced the storms of death, especially martyrdom, and the Lord was their anchor in the storm. On February 23, 155 A.D., a Roman officer publicly demanded Polycarp, the bishop of Smyrma to renounce Jesus Christ. Polycarp was a very kind and gentle man but his reply to this challenge was as bold as a lion. He said, “Eighty and six years have I served Him and He has done me no wrong. How can I revile my King that saved me?” The Roman officer continued his threats, “I’ll throw you to the beasts!” Polycarp told him to bring the beast on! The officer threatened again, “Then I’ll have you burned.” Polycarp replied, “You try to frighten me with fire that burns for an hour and you forget the fire of Hell that never goes out.” An hour later his body was smouldered in the ashes, but his soul was with his anchor, Jesus Christ.
Ignatius was the pastor at the church in Antioch for forty years. He would not sacrifice to pagan practices and was hauled to Rome. It was there he was thrown to the lions in the Colosseum. He said, “I would rather die for Christ than rule the whole earth.” Christ was his anchor to the very end.
Jesus is still an anchor today. Cassie Bernall was a seventeen year old girl who had been saved for only two years. It was like any other day at Columbine High School in Littleton, Colorado. It was April 20, 1999, and school would be out in about a month. Cassie was in the library studying her Bible as she did everyday at lunch time. Little did she know that morning that she would face one of the greatest tests of faith and courage that few Christians in the United States know anything about. Gunfire began to erupt in the school hallways and classrooms. The calm in the school turned into panic and pandemonium. One of the gunmen entered the library and Cassie reportedly knelt and prayed which angered the attacker. He approached her and asked her sarcastically if she believed in God. She paused, then said one word: “Yes.” The gunman asked her “Why?”, but Cassie had no time to answer before she was shot to death and left in a pool of blood on the library floor. With her life on the line Christ was her anchor and gave her grace to stand up for Him knowing it might cost her life. If you were in Cassie’s shoes, could you say “Yes?” You can if you make the Lord your anchor each day.
Over two million Christians per year are persecuted for Christ across the world and over 150,000 Christians per year are martyred for Christ. They know what it is to make Christ the anchor of their lives. Do you?