DCLM DAILY MANNA DEVOTIONAL FOR  JUNE 19, 2023  (WILL YOUR ANCHOR HOLD?)
 

TOPIC : WILL YOUR ANCHOR HOLD?

Text: Job 2:1-13 (KJV)

2 Again there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan came also among them to present himself before the Lord.

2 And the Lord said unto Satan, From whence comest thou? And Satan answered the Lord, and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it.

3 And the Lord said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil? and still he holdeth fast his integrity, although thou movedst me against him, to destroy him without cause.

4 And Satan answered the Lord, and said, Skin for skin, yea, all that a man hath will he give for his life.

5 But put forth thine hand now, and touch his bone and his flesh, and he will curse thee to thy face.

6 And the Lord said unto Satan, Behold, he is in thine hand; but save his life.

7 So went Satan forth from the presence of the Lord, and smote Job with sore boils from the sole of his foot unto his crown.

8 And he took him a potsherd to scrape himself withal; and he sat down among the ashes.

9 Then said his wife unto him, Dost thou still retain thine integrity? curse God, and die.

10 But he said unto her, Thou speakest as one of the foolish women speaketh. What? shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil? In all this did not Job sin with his lips.

11 Now when Job’s three friends heard of all this evil that was come upon him, they came every one from his own place; Eliphaz the Temanite, and Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite: for they had made an appointment together to come to mourn with him and to comfort him.

12 And when they lifted up their eyes afar off, and knew him not, they lifted up their voice, and wept; and they rent every one his mantle, and sprinkled dust upon their heads toward heaven.

13 So they sat down with him upon the ground seven days and seven nights, and none spake a word unto him: for they saw that his grief was very great.

KEY VERSE: “Then said his wife unto him, Dost thou still retain thine integrity? curse God, and die. But he said… What? shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil? In all this did not Job sin with his lips.” – (Job 2:9,10)

MESSAGE

The hymn, Will Your Anchor Hold, was written by Priscilla Owens. Mrs Owens was actively involved in the work among Christian youths and most of her hymns were composed for children. This song was specially composed and sung outside the door of a dying hymn writer, Mary Fawler Maude (author of Thine For Ever! God of love). After hearing the song, Mrs. Maude sent back the message, “Tell them that it does not fail – it holds”.

Job was a man whose anchor held in the turbulence of life’s seas. Serious tragedies befell him with the death of ten children and destruction of all his business in the previous chapter. In our reading today, further blows came from the devil to afflict him physically and emotionally. Not only did he battle boils all over his body, his wife had also lost all hope and even wanted him dead. She counselled him to curse God and die. Three friends came around but were no help because of the gravity of his sorrow.

While things were outwardly harsh for Job, God actually had confidence in him and his ability to remain faithful. That confidence was reflected in the answer he gave his wife when she got fed up. We must learn from Job who chose to hold on to God in the midst of a severe storm. When people are jumping ship, we must remain steadfast and trust the Lord to keep our ship afloat.

Today, as you go about your activities, let the lyrics of the hymn speak to you loudly. It asks pungently, “Will your anchor hold in the storms of life, When the clouds unfold their wings of strife? When the strong tides lift, and the cables strain, Will your anchor drift or firm remain?”

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: Those anchored in Jesus will brave the storms of life.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Colosians 1-4

Daily Manna is the daily devotional of the Deeper Christian Life Bible Ministry (DCLM) written by Pastor W. F. Kumuyi. It is an extraction of God’s Word designed to draw the sincere seeker closer to God on a daily basis through an insightful exposition and analysis of God’s Word.