Category: Current Issues and Events

In the Depths of the Sea

I am always amazed when archaeologists or explorers find something ancient. It’s fascinating to me to see an object, or sometimes even a skeleton, that is hundreds or thousands of years old. Those old objects and people have stories. It’s like the past comes to life again. A recent news item caught my attention.

The story begins, “The remains of a centuries-old shipwreck have been discovered more than a mile below the surface of the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of North Carolina, a reminder that history can be found anywhere. A team of researchers stumbled upon the previously unknown wreck, which appears to be from the late 18th or early 19th century. Among the artifacts spotted on the ocean floor were a metal compass, an iron chain, glass bottles, a ceramic jug, ship timbers, red bricks and a navigational tool.”

My first thought at reading this was, How cool! My second thought was of a truth found in Scripture. It is this: God pictures His forgiveness of my sins as putting them into the deepest part of the sea. But they will never be found!

The prophet Micah spoke of God’s forgiveness of the sins of the nation of Israel,

Who is a God like You,
Pardoning iniquity
And passing over the transgression of the remnant of His heritage?

He does not retain His anger forever,
Because He delights in mercy.

He will again have compassion on us,
And will subdue our iniquities.

You will cast all our sins
Into the depths of the sea. (Micah 7:18-19)

The New Covenant includes the promise that God will remember our sins no more (Hebrews 8:12).

My thought on seeing the news article was this. People find shipwrecks that have been covered by the ocean for centuries. But my sins have been cast away by a forgiving God, never to be raised up by Him and used against me. Sure, those old sins would have stories. But Jesus died for me and rose again, and the blood of Jesus Christ, God’s Son, cleanses me from all sin (1 John 1:7).

My Hope

Some people have internal struggles that others don’t know about. They sometimes share their inner turmoil with the people closest to them. This mental, emotional, and spiritual anguish may be related to doubt, worry, lust, anger, guilt, inadequacy, overcoming a particular sin, carrying heavy responsibility, grief, depression, loneliness, or other issues that, through repeated cycles, can lead to despair.

I have had some of these internal struggles at times in my life, and have found various sources of help and encouragement. Learning how other people have persevered is one such source of help. One of these people is William Cowper.

William Cowper (1731-1800) was an English poet and hymn writer best known for his friendship with John Newton (author of Amazing Grace) and for his hymn, There Is A Fountain Filled With Blood. He wrote many other hymns as well. Cowper (pronounced “Cooper” – say it right in your head as you read this 🙂 ) was plagued with internal struggles for much of his life. He was even institutionalized for a few years for insanity. Through the years when experiencing waves of internal turmoil, Cowper found hope in Jesus.

One of his hymns has especially encouraged me and may help you. It expresses his longing to be free from the chains of earthly life and to be in the presence of His Savior. I have written it inside the cover of my Bible as a reminder of my hope. The waves of doubt, burden, and inadequacy that threaten to overwhelm only intensify my longing to be with Him.

To Jesus, the crown of my hope,
my soul is in haste to be gone;
oh, bear me, ye cherubim, up,
and waft me away to His throne.

My Saviour, whom absent I love;
whom not having seen, I adore;
whose name is exalted above
all glory, dominion, and power–

Dissolve Thou these bands that detain
my soul from her portion in Thee,
ah! strike off this adamant chain,
and make me eternally free.

When that happy era begins,
when arrayed in Thy glories I shine,
nor grieve any more, by my sins,
the bosom on which I recline–

Oh, then shall the veil be removed!
and round me Thy brightness be poured;
I shall meet Him whom absent I loved,
I shall see whom unseen I adored.

And then, never more shall the fears,
the trials, temptations, and woes,
which darken this valley of tears,
intrude on my blissful repose.

William Cowper