Hope is Found in Jesus, Anchor of My Soul
Since it is summer, one of the biggest things that has come up on my FaceBook memories, is memories on my parents boat. Usually it is pictures of the children, and the dogs, but a couple times recently it has been about anchors.
One time it was about being anchored off shore to enjoy the day, off the island. And the other was about us losing our anchor. For some reason my caption was “who cares if we lost the anchor”.
And I am looking back right now, and thinking “we should have cared that we lost that anchor!”
Because I have learned a lot about anchors over the years, and what their benefits are.
An anchor prevents a vessel from drifting, and from floating into danger. It keeps a vessel from running aground and from the risk of crashing into rocks and sinking.
The tighter the anchor, the less a vessel drifts. It keeps the vessel firm and secure.
Hope is an Anchor
Hebrews 6:19 says “We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure.” And I completely embrace the idea that Jesus is our anchor. And I say that from being in some pretty bad storms. Physically and spiritually. We walked through a category five hurricane named Maria, and I have sometimes felt like life has been a category five hurricane.
When the hurricane hit, it knocked out everything that could have brought us comfort (except a sturdy house we were in, and a generator that we could run part of the day so that we didn’t run out of gas). No communication with the outside world, no tv, no internet, and no idea how we were going to get home.
People always ask how we kept faith and trust in God in hurricane Maria, and my husband always says that we didn’t have a choice. But I know that we did. Because we could let our anchor go, not set it, or to tend to it.
Scripture says about Abraham that despite all odds, he hoped against hope. Hope is a choice. We have to choose hope.
And I love what Hebrews 6: 13-18 says about Abraham that sets us up for verse 19.
When God made his promise to Abraham, since there was no one greater for him to swear by, he swore by himself, saying, “I will surely bless you and give you many descendants.” And so after waiting patiently, Abraham received what was promised.
People swear by someone greater than themselves, and the oath confirms what is said and puts an end to all argument. Because God wanted to make the unchanging nature of his purpose very clear to the heirs of what was promised, he confirmed it with an oath. God did this so that, by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled to take hold of the hope set before us may be greatly encouraged.
Do you feel the truths in these verses? I feel them to the depth of my soul.
Hope anchors our soul. And did you catch this?… Our hope is set by God Himself. And the hope I am talking about is in Jesus.
Our hope is set by God, Himself. Click To TweetMost of the time, when we put our anchor out, we can’t see it. When we are anchored, our anchor is usually so deep that it isn’t visible.
And isn’t that like the hope we have in Jesus? The hope that doesn’t disappoint. We can’t really see it, but as Romans says, a hope that is seen is not hope at all.
Jesus, Anchor of My Soul
He keeps us safe, our hearts, and our minds, and our souls. He secures our place in heaven. He guides us so that we don’t sink. Tells us to keep our eyes on Him while walking on water, and keeps us firmly planted so that we don’t get tossed around in the waves more than we should. He is the solid rock on which we can stand, our hiding place, and strong tower. Our safe refuge.
Related Post: When Fear Doesn’t Rule in the Heart of the Storm
When the storm comes, His anchor, His hope, keeps us protected.
Don’t Lose Your Anchor
So what is one thing we can do to keep our anchor secure? Stay in the Word everyday. If I am honest, I need it, and I need it everyday. It keeps my anchor secure, because I am feeding myself truth. If I am not in the Word every day, I drift.
And. I. Drift. Fast. My mind drifts, my thoughts drift, my insecurities grow, and so do my fears.
I know God could take all of my struggles, my thorn in my side, and take it away. But He doesn’t and He won’t. And I am thankful because then I wouldn’t be running to the foot of the cross everyday so that my anchor is secured.
And I desire the same for you.
Let me leave you with this bit of interesting thoughts for you to take with you.
Have you ever noticed what an anchor looks like? What the shape of the top of it is?
Wait for it…
It is a cross. And at the top of the anchor is what they call a crown. Kind of like where the crown of thorns would have been.
The next time you see an anchor remember Jesus.
Because what a beautiful truth. A beautiful hope. A beautiful Savior. Our anchor. Our King
Hope is Found in Jesus, Anchor of My Soul Click To TweetRelated Resource
There are times when worship overflows easily and effortlessly from a heart full of gratitude and praise. Yet, there are other times when God seems far and we feel we have nothing left to offer. We are tired, or thirsty, or imprisoned in our own chains through our own devices, or caught in the waves of a tumultuous sea. This is when God shows us His steadfast love.
He wraps His eternally powerful, ultimately creative, nail-scarred hands around our hearts and squeezes with appropriate might—yielding an honest plea for Him to save us and deliver us from our circumstances, fears, and self control. And He does. He initiates with His steadfast love, and responds with the same.
