The Anchor Holds
- Dericka Canada Cunningham
- 1 day ago
- 4 min read
Dericka Canada Cunningham, GBW Founder
June 16, 2025
This Week's Anchor
“We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain, where our forerunner, Jesus, has entered on our behalf.”
Hebrews 6:19-20a (NIV)
In just a few weeks, we will enter the halfway point of 2025. Looking back, January somehow feels like both yesterday and forever ago. This week alone has brought tragedy after tragedy, conflict after conflict, and confusion after confusion. Nevertheless, as time passes, I find myself continually grateful for God’s unwavering presence, whether big or small. The days roll, the weeks unfold, the months move, the times change, and yet, God remains the same. Unmoving. Unchanged. Holding us steady despite the whirlwind of life all around us.
As I lay in bed this weekend, tears rolling down my face with each recount of tragic and disappointing headlines, I recalled an impactful memory that encouraged me. A couple of years ago, my husband was invited to deliver a keynote sermon for a Martin Luther King, Jr. Day service hosted by a fellow church in our faith community. It was my husband’s first time preaching in a while; therefore, it was important for me to come along in support. We brought our daughter, who, like most young children, can be unpredictably temperamental, so as a queen mom, I braced myself for how this service could unfold. As we began the planned 45-minute drive, we realized we had somehow missed the forecasted snowstorm that had invaded our commute. To say the least, our nerves were on edge as we prepared to celebrate MLK, Jr. Day that year.
An hour or so later, we finally arrived at a cozy church with an intimate congregation located in a quaint town in Massachusetts. Although different from our typical church experience in Boston, and despite the stress and the small crowd of folks who weathered the storm with us, God offered a perfect tender moment. As the worship team gave their final pre-sermonic song, one of the leaders led a solo—a throwback to 90s-era Christian music and a song of Ray Boltz’s, The Anchor Holds. The lyrics sing:
I have journeyed Through the long, dark night Out on the open sea
By faith alone Sight unknown And yet His eyes were watching me
The anchor holds Though the ship is battered The anchor holds Though the sails are torn
I have fallen on my knees As I faced the raging seas The anchor holds In spite of the storm
Not only was this song nostalgic, but it reminded me of God’s faithfulness and steadiness in the literal storm and stress that my husband and I endured to make it to this service. It, of course, also resonated with me personally and spiritually. At the time, I felt mentally and emotionally exhausted. The year had just started, work hadn’t even picked up, and I was already counting the weeks to my next vacation. If I keep it even more 100, this devotional community had been placed on hold as I tried to catch my breath and find rest from the previous year, and the guilt of not relaunching sooner weighed heavily on me. I didn’t feel as connected to God and wasn’t as consistent with meditation and prayer.
Simply put, I felt a bit off my game. Nevertheless, as the words of this song entered my heart, I felt God’s presence. It was as if God kept whispering, “and yet, the anchor holds”. Despite my disconnection and regardless of how depleted I felt, the anchor was still holding me, even when I didn’t notice it.
Our scripture speaks of this inexplicable, ever-enduring anchor. I admit, it can be incredibly challenging to keep our grasp on our anchor when things are chaotic around us. And yet, even when we struggle to hold onto God, He finds a way to grab hold of us. Whether through a powerful sermon or song, an unexpected message or call from a friend, an unplanned inspiring conversation with a family member or colleague, an encouraging devotion, or a random memory of a meaningful moment, God finds a way to speak to us, somehow securing us in hope even amid our storms. I don’t have clever tips or lists this week, but I humbly offer you this same hope. We hold space for gratitude and radical joy while also acknowledging the tiredness of trying to stay healthy in an unhealthy world, the exhaustion of cumulative grief and trauma, the worry of wondering “what’s next?”, and more. We honor it all and…we hand it over to a God who can hold it all. Wherever we are, He’s holding us. However, we feel He’s holding us. And whatever comes, He's holding us. May we have faith and hope in the Anchor that eternally holds.
Reflection
What is resonating for you about this scripture and/or this devotion?
What do you need from the Holy Trinity to help you feel anchored?
What intention(s) do you want to set to connect and/or reconnect with being grounded this week?
Related Scriptures to Ground You Through This Week
Tuesday: Psalm 61: 1-8
Wednesday: Psalm 62:1-6
Thursday: Isaiah 33:6
Friday: Luke 22:25-32
Saturday: Hebrews 4:14-16
Sunday: Hebrews 6:13-20
My Through-the-Week Reflection Guide
A Song of Inspiration
Quote of Love & Liberation
“People asked me how was I able to do this and raise four children at the same time.
I can only reply that when God calls you to a great task, he provides you with the strength to accomplish what he has called you to do . . .”
Coretta Scott King