An Anchor for the Soul (eBook) by Paul Mallard

Let Psalm 22 refresh your faith and sharpen your view of the cross

However fervent our first love for the Lord, we are all prone to drift. Our hearts can grow cold and our faith become a mere formality before we’ve even realised.

Thankfully there’s an answer, and it’s the same regardless of our feelings or situation: we need to stare long and hard at the profundity of Christ’s love poured out for us on the cross.

But it’s often helpful to have a guide come alongside us, and that’s exactly what Paul Mallard does in his exploration of how Jesus fulfils Psalm 22. He reminds us that our joy in Christ comes not from performance but from proximity. This is the anchor our souls need to provide stability in the raging tempests of life.

Selected commendations:

“Christ-exalting; heart-warming; soul-nourishing; perspective-giving; praise-provoking. This walk-through Psalm 22 affirms the fact that the cross and resurrection of our Lord Jesus truly are the anchor for our souls...”

Johnny Prime, Director for London, FIEC

"The victory cry, ‘He has done it’ points to Christ’s supremacy, leads us to worship and infuses our faith with hope. This short book is packed with rich treasure."

Elizabeth McQuoid, Digital Resources Director, Keswick Ministries

"This is a remarkably profound book. Concise, clear, and compelling, author Paul Mallard takes us back to the glories of Calvary and the hope of the resurrection... I could not put the book down and as I raced to the finish, I was filled with joy, which Mallard reminds us comes not from performance but from proximity."

Dave Furman, Senior Pastor, Redeemer Church of Dubai, Author of Being There: How to Help Those Who Are Hurting

"We are invited to reflect in a fresh way on Christ. More than that, we see that the sufferings and glory of Christ provide the keys to our own Christian life and experience. Spiritually refreshing!"

Bill James, Principal, London Seminary

A great read for:

New and seasoned Christians
Those needing deeper joy in Jesus
Those wanting a short, helpful read

Key features:

A closer look at the cross and resurrection
Warm and gentle tone from an experienced pastor
An encouragement to proximity not performance

Title

An Anchor for the Soul
Author(s)

Paul Mallard
ISBN

9781837280117
Format

eBook
Publisher

10Publishing
Bible Book

Psalms
Audience

Adults
Pages

128
Published

03/06/2024

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Paul Mallard

Paul Mallard is Director for the West Midlands FIEC and the chair of FIEC's Theology Team, helping churches and leaders to think through the key theological challenges facing us in 21st Century Britain.

Paul retired from full-time ministry at Widcombe Baptist Church in Bath in 2022. He speaks at numerous Christian events and has trained a generation of church workers. His wife Edrie’s story is told movingly in Invest Your Disappointments (IVP, 2013). Paul and Edrie are parents and grandparents.

See other titles by this author

Overall rating

4.7 based on 3 reviews

Not what I was expecting

I'm not sure what I thought this book was going to be like...but I know it wasn't what I expected. Perhaps I had thought it would contain a list of tips and tricks to stay anchored in our faith, or stories of hope and steadfastness through difficulty. Instead we're taken directly to Psalm 22, and by working through each verse helped to remember the true source of security in a stormy life: the cross and resurrection of Jesus. This is the anchor our soul needs. Paul's style of writing is clear and easy to follow. At just over 100 pages it's a short read and easy to pop in your pocket or bag. My favourite quotes Even in his darkest hour, Jesus knows that God is on the throne. Everything that happened was planned in eternity, predicted in time, and played out on calvary. If the darkest moment in the history of the world was part of God's plan, this should give us confidence in any dark providence that we may have to face. p 33 No matter how long we may have followed Christ, we are all prone to drift from him... Our security and identity flow from Calvary and from the empty tomb. This is the anchor our souls desperately need. P116-117

Bethan

Short, sweet and super helpful

This book encouraged me to remember who I should be leaning and trusting in. Our feelings constantly fluctuate and Jesus is the only constant we can completely rely on. The way we feel doesn't reflect God's closeness or distance to us- he is there regardless of our feelings. What an encouraging read!

Siwan

Jesus' sufferings and glorification in the 1st person

Paul Mallard takes the reader through Psalm 22 as a pointer to the cross and resurrection of Christ. Psalm 22 can be seen as a 5th Gospel, giving the firsthand perspective of our Lord himself, even as it was written hundreds of years before. The suffering expressed in the Psalm remind us of the humanity of Jesus, as he was forsaken instead of us, humiliated instead of us (“I am a worm” v6), and crucified for our sins. Yet as a Psalm of lament it moves from complaint to prayer to faith. The Psalmist (Jesus) is risen from the dead and is exalted to rule. Reading this book helped me to appreciate afresh what Jesus did for us and to rejoice that he has won the victory. With six chapters of meditation and questions for reflection, it can be read straight or over a week.