The forces which are at work to bring a soul to ruin...
To prevent a man or a woman from reaching God’s appointed and desired haven...
Are far greater and more terrible and persistent than anything that has ever been encountered in the natural realm of storms.
Of course, you do not know that until you definitely set yourself in the direction of God’s will.
A great many people in this world seem to be getting along very well...
With not very much trouble...
And think that they are going (in that easygoing, carefree way) to get where God wants them to be.
That is an illusion.
Never yet has there been a definite and serious association with the will of God...
The purpose of God...
Except there has been the rising of terrific conflict and tempest to make that realization impossible...
And I say when a man or a woman does seriously have an understanding with God that His will and purpose is to be realized in their life and that they are abandoned to Him for that, then such a life will know that it is not all plain sailing, or easygoing.
There will be forces which were not imagined arising to hinder that, to make that impossible.
The course of the salvation of a soul is the course of no less a conflict than all the forces of heaven and hell locked in battle over that soul.
That is not exaggerating.
Sooner or later it is found that we are not going to get through quite so easily.
In the early stages of this story, these people thought they had gained their end - "the south wind blew softly".
The thing seemed to be going very well.
Oh no, that is not the experience of those who are really in union with God for His purpose, and we shall find that we need a good cargo of anchors before we are through.
If there is one thing that we shall need, it will be anchors.
We are going to be put under terrific testing and strain and there has got to be some real holding power or we are going to be on the rocks spiritually, our destiny will be a shipwreck.
There are those referred to in the New Testament as those who "concerning the faith have made shipwreck" (1 Tim. 1:19).
That is a terrible possibility.
But there are those referred to also as having, "an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast and entering into that which is within the veil" (Heb. 6:19).
~T. Austin Sparks~