Who's Your Anchor?

Anchored: Knowing the Unchanging Heart of a God You Can Trust

Moms of Grace Teaching Series: Unshakable Faith

By Darla Butterfield

As moms, we're surrounded by change. Our kids are growing right before our eyes. Before we know it, we're sending that baby off to preschool, then kindergarten — or maybe you're homeschooling, watching their progress firsthand as they learn to read. Those babies we once held in our arms will one day grow into teenagers, sometimes towering over us. There are hormonal changes, both in them and in us. We know change all too well.

You've probably heard the old saying, "The only constant in life is change."

Some of us like change, and some of us resist it. But there's one thing we can be confident doesn't change: the trustworthiness of our God. His character doesn't shift. He's the One we can build our lives upon, knowing He's a firm foundation who won't move beneath us.

When the ground seems to shift below us, and our lives are turned upside down, what do we reach for to hold us steady in the storm? God's Word is the anchor we can grasp to discover the unchanging heart of a God we can trust.

Let me share a storm I faced earlier this year, and how God showed me His unchanging character in the middle of it.

It was the morning of April 9th. I had logged into a Zoom meeting for a women's ministry training cohort, where we discussed the life statements we'd been crafting. Right after the meeting, I jotted down what would become mine:

I am a joyful follower of Truth, courageously walking by faith with Jesus, chosen by God to guide others to the light of His Word.

I had no idea how I was about to live out that “courageously walking by faith with Jesus” part by what was coming next.

I went for a walk, talked with Jesus, and had a sweet sense of His Presence. I came home, sat down on the couch, and my phone buzzed with a text from my husband: "Good morning… sort of… call me when you can."

That didn't sound good. I called him immediately and found out the board at the nonprofit where he worked had voted to restructure their budget and eliminate his position. He'd work through the end of the month, but after that, no job — his third layoff in less than two years. Change was coming, and it wasn't a change we wanted. It hurt to know we were facing another season of unemployment, uncertainty, and unknowns. Questions loomed in my head: How would we pay our bills? How long would this last? As we prayed together, I sensed the Lord reminding me that He had a plan, even if I hadn't seen it yet.

When has an unexpected change in your life felt like the ground shifting beneath you? How did you respond in that moment?

When the storms of life come, we can trust that God has a plan. He isn't surprised. He's not worried or overwhelmed. He's not missing a single detail needed to execute His plan. He's fully sovereign and in control. I was left with a choice: would I trust God's plan?

After I hung up the phone, I fought the urge to panic. Instead, I remembered the track record of my God over my life. How He always provided, sometimes unexpectedly. How He strengthened me in the hardest seasons. How He grew my faith as I clung to Him. I remembered the stories in the Bible of God’s faithfulness and trustworthiness. How He takes care of His sheep. How every promise He made to His people came to pass. I knew how God saw Hagar, Leah, Rahab, and Ruth. But I wondered: did God see me?

What's a moment from your own story you can point back to as proof of God's faithfulness?

The next evening, as our new reality was setting in, I was desperate to get outside and walk. I wanted to spend time with Jesus, processing my thoughts and questions. As I turned the corner to head back up the hill toward home, I was awestruck by the sky. We don't often see amazing sunsets where we live, but that evening the clouds were vibrant, illuminating the sky in bright pink and orange. It was one of those moments when I witnessed the character of God as Creator — the One who flung the stars into the sky and set the boundaries of the ocean. If He was big enough to form the mountains, He was big enough to find a new job for my husband. The God we see at creation, is still the God at work in our lives today. He doesn’t change.

Has God met you through creation — in a sunset, the presence of an animal, a moment in nature?

It's easy to rest in those attributes of God when life is going well and we can actively see Him at work. It's harder when it feels like we're about to fall off a cliff, wondering if He'll be there to catch us.

I knew we were approaching that cliff quickly, financially. On one of those afternoon trips to the grocery store, I caught myself sliding down the "what if" rabbit trail, and those scenarios were scary. I questioned whether God would show up on time — and the moment that thought crossed my mind, a worship song came on the radio, with lyrics answering that exact question… it’s even titled Always on Time (by Elevation Worship):

Jesus, I was tossed in the water

But I never went under… You were always on time

Jesus, When I went through the fire

You were right there beside me… You were always on time

Our God is always on time. He's never late, even when we think He should hurry. He's never rushed or in a panic. He has complete authority over His timing, and He knows how to orchestrate events far better than we ever could. I knew He was asking me to trust His timing, and to trust His heart. I didn't know how God would meet our needs, but I knew He was going to take care of us.

That very week, I got my answer. Our family received an envelope of cash from someone anonymous who felt the Lord telling them to give it to us. I remember opening that envelope, tears rolling down my face, beyond grateful for that person's generosity. Through their gift, I felt God's immeasurable love for me… and we were able to pay our bills that month.

Has there been a time God provided for you in an unexpected way, big or small? What was that like?

I came home and showed my family. I wanted my kids to witness how God provides. His resources don't run out, and He knows how to care for His sheep. My hope is that this moment is forever imprinted on their hearts, so that when they're older, they'll remember God's ability to provide.

What are ways you can help your own kids see God at work?

Even after a tremendous demonstration of God's kindness and compassion, those same fears and doubts can resurface when the storm keeps raging. It was hard not to get our hopes up when promising job leads came along — great interviews, opportunities that looked perfect — only to end in rejection. One afternoon, after another rejection email, I was driving and crying. I let it all out, knowing God could handle my emotions and my honest prayers.

I remembered how God is close to the brokenhearted. He's a God who cares about the widow, the foreigner, the orphan, and the poor. And He's patient with us. I knew I could pour out my tears before Him, and He wasn't rushing me to get over it and move on. It felt like He sat with me in my car, holding my hand, listening to my prayers. As I dried my tears, a wave of His peace hit me. Maybe someone was praying for me in that moment. I didn't have answers for when this hard season of the unknown would end, but I knew God wasn't going anywhere. He still had a plan.

Have you ever sensed God's nearness in a moment of grief or frustration?

That next financial cliff approached, and I had no idea how we'd pay our bills. It didn't seem possible for a job to come along quickly enough — but God surprised us. A Craigslist post turned into an immediate interview, followed by a second interview and a job offer, all within a week. My husband started his new job right when we needed him to. God showed up again, right on time, with a job my husband now loves.

When has God shown up in your life, at just the right time?

Are you in a season of waiting now? What helps you as you wait on God’s timing?

I don't have all the details for how my life will continue to unfold. There are still questions about how God will provide as my kids get older, and more expensive. But I know God hasn't forgotten those details either. He sees what I don't see, and His character doesn't change. He's the God who made a way through the Red Sea for His people to cross on dry land. He's the God who provided manna in the wilderness without ever running out. He's the God who fed five thousand with just five loaves of bread and two small fish. Nothing is impossible for our God! He's the anchor we can cling to in the storm, knowing His character never changes.

If you truly believed nothing was impossible for God in your current situation, what would you do differently this week?

These are seven attributes of God that don’t change… these are what I needed to hold tight to most in the difficult season I faced:

1. God is Sovereign: He has a plan and He’s fully in control. He’s not surprised or worried. He knows every detail necessary to accomplish His plans for our lives.

Isaiah 55:8-9 “My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,” says the Lord.“ And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine. For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so my ways are higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts.”

Jeremiah 1:5 “I knew you before I formed you in your mother’s womb. Before you were born I set you apart and appointed you as my prophet to the nations.”

Proverbs 16:9 (NLT) “We can make our plans, but the Lord determines our steps.”

2. God is Faithful: Every promise that God made to His people came to pass. He has a perfect track record. He is fully trustworthy.

Deuteronomy 7:9 “Know therefore that the Lord your God is God; he is the faithful God, keeping his covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love him and keep his commandments.”

Psalm 91:4 (NLT) “He will cover you with his feathers. He will shelter you with his wings. His faithful promises are your armor and protection.”

Psalm 143:8 “Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in you. Show me the way I should go, for to you I entrust my life.”

3. God is Creator: He’s the One who flung the stars into the sky and set the boundaries of the ocean. He’s bigger than any circumstance you may face. He made you and your kids and knows what He’s doing.

I’ve sat on the beach, watching the waves crash, while my world felt like it was falling apart… but God met me in my pain, and reminded me that if Jesus is powerful enough to have authority over the seas, He’s powerful enough to bring peace to the storms in my life.

Mark 4:39 “He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm.”

Psalm 19:1 “The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.”

Psalm 146:4 “He determines the number of the stars and calls them each by name.”

4. God is Provider: God’s not broke! His resources don't run out. He is fully capable of providing for our needs.

Psalm 23:1 (NLT) “The Lord is my shepherd; I have all that I need.”

Philippians 4:19 “And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus.”

Matthew 6:26 “Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?”

5. God's Timing is Perfect: Our God is always on time. He's never late... never rushed or in a panic. We can trust His timing in our lives.

Isaiah 60:22 (NLT) “…At the right time, I, the Lord, will make it happen.”

Ecclesiastes 3:11 “He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end.”

Psalm 27:13-14 “I remain confident of this: I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.”

6. God is Kind and Compassionate, Near to the Brokenhearted and He cares about you: God is close to the brokenhearted. He’s a God who cares about the widow, the foreigner, the orphan, and the poor. He hears your prayer and sees your tears. He’s not overwhelmed by your emotions. He can handle your doubts, fears, and questions.

Psalm 34:18 “The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.”

Psalm 56:8 (NLT) “You keep track of all my sorrows. You have collected all my tears in your bottle. You have recorded each one in your book.”

Deuteronomy 10:18 “He defends the cause of the fatherless and the widow, and loves the foreigner residing among you, giving them food and clothing.”

7. God is All-Powerful! Nothing Is Impossible for our God: He’s the same God of the Bible… every miracle written in Scripture He can still do today. Nothing is beyond His ability or too much for Him to handle.

Luke 1:37 (ESV) “For nothing will be impossible with God.”

Mark 10:27 “Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God.”

Jeremiah 32:17 “Ah, Sovereign Lord, you have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and outstretched arm. Nothing is too hard for you.”

What's one truth about God that you want to hold onto this week?

Is there a specific verse you could write down and keep somewhere visible as a reminder in your hardest moments?