On May 8, 2020, the cargo ship Nomadic Milde collided with another ship, careened into a dock, and then grounded on the bank of the Lower Mississippi River. There were no injuries, but the resulting damage was estimated at $16.9 million. Although the Nomadic Milde’s anchor had been lowered, it was discovered during the investigation that the anchor hadn’t held to the riverbed. In the high-water conditions, the ship was dragged from its original position.

But the investigation revealed something more: The watch officers on the Nomadic Milde had not adequately monitored the ship’s position. They were unaware—until it was too late—that the anchor had not held and that the ship was drifting toward disaster. The final report stated, “Monitoring a ship at anchor . . . requires a continuous state of vigilance.”¹

Much like monitoring an anchored ship, our life with God requires continuous vigilance. A vibrant spiritual life requires us to anchor ourselves in something steady. In Romans 12:1, Paul urges us: “in view of the mercies of God, I urge you to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God; this is your true worship.” This is the call to a life wholly devoted to God. It’s a life that pursues loving, trusting, obeying, and honoring Him. And Paul provides us with the only sure anchor for that devoted life—the mercy of God. Unlike the watch officers who were unaware of the Nomadic Milde’s drift, we must be vigilant to remain anchored in divine mercy as we live for Christ.

The Unique Mercies of God

Mercy is God’s goodness and kindness toward those in need. His mercy is active. He continually cares for His creation, providing for it and preserving it: “The LORD is good to all, and his mercy is over all that he has made” (Psalm 145:9, ESV). Yet, God is uniquely merciful to those He has re-created in Christ. We were once dead in our sin, but God has made us spiritually alive through faith in His Son. Now, all spiritual blessings are ours. They are what Paul calls in Romans 12:1, “the mercies of God.”

Those mercies fill the pages of Romans 1–11. It’s worth reminding ourselves of even a few: God leads us to repentance with kindness; He forgives our sin and rescues us from condemnation; He redeems and reconciles us to Himself through Christ’s death; He gives us His Spirit, who now intercedes for us; He predestines and empowers us to become like Jesus, and He grants us the sure hope of eternal life. Such mercies, and many more, form the bedrock of a life devoted to God. The mercies of God enable us to live for the God of mercy.

Faulty Motivations

Only the mercy of God is strong enough to undergird a lifelong pursuit of honoring Him. Because Paul understands that, he appeals to us “by the mercies of God” to present ourselves to God as living sacrifices. But sometimes our devotion to God can drift from being anchored in His mercies to other motivations that fail to hold.

Guilt

Guilt is one of those faulty motivations. Even as believers in Christ, we can fall prey to thinking that our devotion to God, especially our acts of obedience, can outweigh our sin on God’s scales of justice. Memories of past sins and awareness of current disobedience gnaw at our consciences, and we begin to think that we can compensate for our failings before God.

But our feelings of guilt carry no weight in the courtroom of God’s mercy. By faith in Christ, our condemnation is removed (Romans 8:1). Paul explains, “And when you were dead in trespasses . . . he made you alive with him and forgave us all our trespasses. He erased the certificate of debt, with its obligations, that was against us and opposed to us, and has taken it away by nailing it to the cross” (Colossians 2:13–14, emphasis added). God has liberated us to love and obey Him as we rest in His mercy.

Fear

Fear is another motivation that can undermine our devotion to God. This isn’t the healthy, reverential fear that marks genuine faith and wisdom (Proverbs 9:10). Rather, it’s a feeling of dread that lacks certainty about God’s goodness and faithfulness to keep His promises in the gospel. We may be tempted to think that if we don’t live “just right,” then at best God will love us less, and at worst He might love us no longer. And so we daily strive for perfection before God, yet we’re never able to achieve it.

The antidote for this fear is understanding and accepting the love of God for sinners. First John 4:18 says, “There is no fear in love; instead, perfect love drives out fear, because fear involves punishment.” This is the kind of love that the prodigal son’s father showered on him when he returned home. It welcomes, blesses, and celebrates—without condemnation. God is our merciful Father, and we don’t need to fear Him or His judgment, for Jesus bore our sin on the cross. We can live in the security and certainty of our Father’s love, “for you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear. Instead, you received the Spirit of adoption, by whom we cry out, ‘Abba, Father!’” (Romans 8:15).

Pride

Lastly, personal pride is a motivation that’s unable to sustain a life of godly devotion. Self-confidence and self-sufficiency can corrupt the best of our intentions. As we engage in spiritual disciplines, serve in the church, and fulfill our everyday responsibilities, we may begin to approach these things like a spiritual lone ranger—not depending on the wisdom, strength, and presence of God. In our self-reliance, we commune with Him less. We stray into prayerlessness and superficial Bible reading. We forget His mercies.

Yet because God is merciful, His Spirit draws us back when we seek our own way. With His Word, He reorients our hearts. He convicts us of sin and teaches us how to walk rightly with Him again. He calls us back “to act justly, to love faithfulness, and to walk humbly with [our] God.” (Micah 6:8). Even the mercies of conviction and instruction show us how much God loves us.

Only the mercy of God can create, empower, and sustain a life of devotion to Him. We must not allow ourselves to be like the crew of the Nomadic Milde, failing to monitor the ground our spiritual lives are anchored in. Throw your anchor into the depths of God’s mercy, and you will not be moved.

Notes:

1. National Transportation Safety Board, “Lack of Effective Monitoring of Position at Anchor Leads to $16.9M Marine Accident,” press release, August 19, 2021, https://www.ntsb.gov/news/press-releases/Pages/NR20210819.aspx.

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Author Bio

Cheryl Marshall is a pastor’s wife, mom, grandma, author, Bible teacher, and conference speaker. She’s a graduate of Master’s University and Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and has over thirty years of experience teaching and discipling women in the local church. Currently, Cheryl serves as the director of women’s ministries at Founders Baptist Church in Spring, Texas. She’s a co-author of When Words Matter Most: Speaking Truth with Grace to Those You Love and the author of All of Me: Pursuing a Life Wholly Devoted to God. You can contact her at cherylmarshall.com and listen to her weekly on the Whole-Life Worship Podcast.

Additional Resources:

New and Never-Ending Mercies Devotional		Mercy in the Storm | A Bible Study on the Book of Jonah		When Fear Meets Faith Bible Study
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