I gave birth to my son with two anchors drawn on my feet.
As my pregnant belly grew, so did my fear. This was my fourth baby, so I’d already read all the books and websites. I knew the practical realities of preparing to deliver a baby. I packed a bag. I made a birth plan. Still . . . my anxiety remained. I needed something more, something weightier, to steady my jittery heart, so I grabbed a sharpie and drew anchors on the tops of my feet. When the time to deliver our son Ezra finally came, I stared at them with every contraction. It worked! Despite a topsy turvy birth, my heart stayed steadfast because those anchors represent two unshakeable realities about the character of God: God is good and God is sovereign.
I’ve already written about the sovereignty of God earlier in this series. God’s sovereignty means He is always in control. He rules all and submits to nothing and no one other than Himself. Listen to how His sovereignty is described in Colossians 1:16–17.
For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.
It is a comfort to know that God can never be deposed, but it can be a scratchy comfort—more like a burlap sack than a well-worn quilt—when we don’t see that God is also good.
Our Always Good God
Maybe you’ve been a part of a church service where someone says, “God is good” and the congregation booms back, “ALL THE TIME!” It’s true. God is never not good. And God is never not doing what is good for His children. It may seem elementary, but God’s goodness really is worth belting out at the top of our lungs.
We don’t know what good is. We’re more familiar with good enough. Psalm 14 and Romans 3 affirm “no one does good, not even one.” As sinners, we are prone to do good for ourselves but not for others. We might have good days, but all sinners struggle to be good people. Not so with God.
Goodness is not something God does. Goodness is who He is.
In Psalm 119:68 King David declared, “You are good and do good.”
Let’s say it together: God, you are good and do good. You are good and do good.
The fundamental belief that God is good is essential to trusting Him. It’s necessary to preserve our hope and joy. It’s mandatory if we will serve Him faithfully through the ups and downs of life.
Hope in the Search Bar
On a whim I once Googled “When does a boat need two anchors?” The answer? In a storm.
In calm waters one anchor will suffice. But when winds and waves batter a ship, a second anchor is needed. If a boat is moored by a single tether it will spin and spin and eventually the tether will snap. But drop a second anchor and a boat can weather even the toughest of storms.
If we don’t believe that God is sovereign, He will seem weak and impotent to handle our world and our lives. If we don’t believe God is good, He will seem cruel, like He has the power to change things but simply chooses not to. Thus, the anchors on my feet.
In every fear . . .
Every source of anxiety . . .
Every moment of sadness . .
Every storm that comes into our lives . . .
Every high and every low . . .
We can be anchored, moored to the truth that God is good and God is sovereign. Because He is in control, we don’t have to be. Because He is always good we can have full confidence that He will always be good to us.
Do you operate from the unwavering belief that God is good? Your answer is your True North. It will determine the trajectory of your life.
When our sin-dimmed eyes are enlightened with all God has done for us, there will be no doubt—He is good and does good. We can live with that assurance now, anchored in hope to the unchangeable character of our good God.
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