Whitby Harbour

Getting away for a few days did me some good. Friends hired an apartment at Whitby, and I was kindly invited to join them. We went for an early morning walk and beheld the rough North Sea, the waves of which were so great that some of the harbour walks were chained off. The contrast between that choppy sea and the calmer, smoother waters of Whitby harbour was very much evident. The latter was no lifeless, mysterious pond of silent serenity. It still had waves and the seagulls bobbed up and down, but the contrasting violence of the waters outside was quite terrific; one big wave, unexpected, would easily sweep away a careless admirer or fishing boat.

Being a Christian does not offer absolute shelter from life’s winds and storms, but it does save us from the life-threatening squalls and destroying floods. We too shall bob about, but we shall be safe from that which endangers the soul. Do not think your current trials to be evidence of Christ’s neglect; enjoy the relative tranquility of His harbour until such time as He calls you to your real home, where the wild seas churn and froth no more. 

It is safely moored, ’twill the storm withstand,

For ’tis well secured by the Saviour’s hand;

And the cables passed from His heart to mine,

Can defy the blast, through strength divine.

We have an anchor that keeps the soul

Steadfast and sure while the billows roll,

Fastened to the Rock which cannot move,

Grounded firm and deep in the Saviour’s love.

-P.J. Owens