THURSDAY, DECEMBER 11, 2025
THE ANCHOR OF DIVINE PEACE
Author: Pastor E. A. Adeboye
MEMORISE: “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.” (Psalm 23:4, KJV)
READ: Isaiah 41:10-13 (KJV)
[10] Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness. [11] Behold, all they that were incensed against thee shall be ashamed and confounded: they shall be as nothing; and they that strive with thee shall perish. [12] Thou shalt seek them, and shalt not find them, even them that contended with thee: they that war against thee shall be as nothing, and as a thing of nought. [13] For I the LORD thy God will hold thy right hand, saying unto thee, Fear not; I will help thee.
I. THE PROMISE: A DIVINE DECLARATION OF PRESENCE
The greatest antidote to fear and anxiety is the simple, profound realization of God’s presence. Our reading today from Isaiah 41:10 is one of the most powerful and comprehensive declarations of divine security in the entire Bible. It is a series of commandments designed to quiet the troubled human soul, immediately followed by the divine guarantee that makes obedience possible.
A. The Commands and the Counter-Argument
God issues two vital commands: “Fear thou not” and “be not dismayed.” Fear is the emotional panic in the face of perceived danger; dismay is the utter loss of heart or courage, leading to depression and surrender.
The reason we can obey these commands is not willpower, but an immutable truth: “for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God.”
The assurance of His presence is the antidote to fear, and the assertion of His Lordship is the cure for dismay. When the Almighty God is your God, and He is with you, the opposition is irrelevant.
B. The Five-Fold Support System
When God is with you, He actively provides a comprehensive support system against all life’s storms:
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“I am with thee” (Presence): The foundation of comfort (Psalm 23:4).
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“I will strengthen thee” (Empowerment): He supplies the inner resilience to endure the pressure.
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“Yea, I will help thee” (Intervention): He steps in directly to alter the circumstances.
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“Yea, I will uphold thee” (Sustenance): He prevents you from falling, even when the ground beneath you gives way.
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“With the right hand of my righteousness” (Vindication): He ensures that ultimately, justice prevails, and you are rescued by His integrity and power.
This means the moment you accept Christ, you gain access to a divine, non-stop security detail, fully equipped and sovereignly powerful.
II. THE REALITY OF THE STORM (CATEGORY 10 EXPERIENCE)
The reality of God’s presence does not guarantee the absence of storms. In fact, many times, the greatest displays of His peace and power occur within the most turbulent circumstances.
I recall years ago, accepting a ticket for a cruise. The first six days were like heaven on earth: the sea was calm, the wind blew softly, and the skies were very clear. This calm often precedes the kind of test that proves the authenticity of your faith.
However, on the seventh day, a storm came. Believe me, you don’t want to be on the ocean when there is a storm. The ship was several stories high—a massive, modern vessel—but the waves kept tossing it up and down like paper. Everything on board was shaking, and objects were flying around. It was very terrible.
Things got so bad that the captain, a man whose word is usually reassuring, called everyone on board together. His attempt to calm us only amplified the crisis: “Ladies and gentlemen, don’t be worried. There are 12 categories of storms at sea. Category 1 is the mildest, while category 12 is the most turbulent—we are only caught in a category 10 storm.”
A. The Reaction of Fear
When I heard that, I became afraid. The human reaction to overwhelming physical danger is natural and instantaneous. My mind immediately went back to my background: “God, what am I doing here in a category 10 storm? In my village, the biggest river is so small that an amateur swimmer can swim across it.” The sense of being utterly out of one’s element was profound.
The captain’s final instruction was simple: “Don’t worry, just go back to your cabins.” But anxiety is not something that obeys a simple command.
B. The Turn to the Source
When I got to my cabin, the only logical action was to turn to the only source of unlimited power: “Lord, what am I going to do now?”
This moment of desperation is often the moment of profound clarity. The Lord’s reply was gentle, yet piercing: “Son, when I was on earth, and I was in a boat that was caught in a storm, what was I doing?”
The memory of the Scripture immediately sprang up: “Lord, You were sleeping.”
III. THE ACTION OF FAITH: REST IN THE STORM
The Lord reminded me of the account in Mark 4, where the disciples panicked while Jesus was fast asleep in the stern of the boat. The difference between the disciples and Jesus was not immunity to the storm, but peace in the storm.
I knew exactly what to do. I immediately jumped on the bed, and in minutes, I was fast asleep. By the time I woke up, we were already at the port, and everything was calm and peaceful. The Category 10 storm had passed, and the ship had sailed into safe harbor.
A. The Peace That Confounds Logic
Anytime I tell this story, people inevitably ask: “How could you sleep in such a situation?” The world operates by the rules of anxiety; when danger is present, fear is the expected, logical response. I usually think to myself, “What else could I have done, jump into the ocean?” I didn’t even know how to swim; human effort was useless.
What prevailed was the kind of peace that only God gives. This is the peace the Apostle Paul described: the peace of God, which transcends all understanding (Philippians 4:7). It is a peace that exists not because the circumstance is peaceful, but because the Source of your life is present and sovereign over the circumstance.
B. The Lesson of Knowing His Voice
There is a vital prerequisite to experiencing this peace: Also, if I had not learnt to hear God’s voice before the storm, I might have developed high blood pressure due to anxiety for nothing.
God’s voice, His directive, and His reassurance are the only things that can anchor your soul in turbulence. If you only seek His voice when the storm hits, you may be too panicked to recognize it. Daily, consistent fellowship and communication with God build a relationship where, even in the roaring of a Category 10 storm, His voice cuts through the noise and directs you.
The disciples, despite being with Jesus, were so focused on the waves that they forgot His presence and His power. They had to wake Him up. The true child of God, who has cultivated His presence, finds the Father is already awake and in control.
IV. CULTIVATING THE LIFE OF PEACE AND PRESENCE
Beloved, if you are truly a child of God, then He is always with you. His presence is a promise, not a possibility. You can live a life free of anxiety if you spend quality time with Him daily.
A. Quality Time Yields Recognition
The reason we must seek Him daily is twofold:
Knowing His Voice: Spending quality time daily ensures you will know His voice (John 10:27). This recognition is critical when multiple voices—fear, doubt, media, and panic—are shouting contradictory instructions. Only His voice can provide the clarity and rest needed for survival.
Receiving His Peace: When you spend time in His presence, He will give you His peace. This is not a mental exercise; it is a spiritual deposit—the peace that passes all understanding (Philippians 4:7). This peace stands guard over your heart and mind against the onslaught of worry.
B. The Outcome: The Enemy Ashamed
When you walk in the security of God’s presence, the promised outcome from Isaiah 41:11-12 is realized:
Vindication: “All they that were incensed against thee shall be ashamed and confounded: they shall be as nothing…”
Vanishing Enemies: “Thou shalt seek them, and shalt not find them…”
Your victory over the Category 10 storm is the confusion of your enemies. The devil’s plan is to make you panic, doubt, and sink. When you sleep in the storm, you demonstrate perfect trust in the Almighty Captain of your soul, leaving the opposition ashamed and powerless.
CONCLUSION
The promise is clear and simple, yet holds infinite power: “For I the LORD thy God will hold thy right hand, saying unto thee, Fear not; I will help thee.”
The assurance of God’s presence is the one variable that changes every equation in your life. It transforms the valley of the shadow of death into a path of comfort (Psalm 23:4), and a Category 10 storm into a bed of rest.
If you are a child of God, He will always be with you, and you will enjoy His peace when you spend quality time with Him. Make the commitment today to prioritize His presence, ensuring that when the waves rise, your soul is anchored in His unchanging promise.
KEY POINT: If you are a child of God, He will always be with you, and you will enjoy His peace when you spend quality time with Him.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Colossians 1-4
HYMN 19: ROCK OF AGES CLEFT FOR ME
- Rock of Ages, cleft for me,Let me hide myself in Thee;Let the water and the blood,
From Thy riven side which flowed,
Be of sin the double cure,
Save me from its guilt and power.
- Not the labor of my handsCan fulfill Thy law’s demands;Could my zeal no respite know,
Could my tears forever flow,
All could never sin erase,
Thou must save, and save by grace.
- Nothing in my hands I bring,Simply to Thy cross I cling;Naked, come to Thee for dress,
Helpless, look to Thee for grace:
Foul, I to the fountain fly,
Wash me, Savior, or I die.
- While I draw this fleeting breath,When mine eyes shall close in death,When I soar to worlds unknown,
See Thee on Thy judgment throne,
Rock of Ages, cleft for me,
Let me hide myself in Thee.
