Hope Is Our Anchor

Hebrews 6:19 NLT

“This hope is a strong and trustworthy anchor for our souls. It leads us through the curtain into God’s inner sanctuary.”

We all know life has its ups and downs, and 2020 seems to have the leg up on other years when it comes to the downs. Even though 2020 had been a difficult year for most all, and has had far more challenges than many previous years, we've made it through! Now we're only a few short months into 2021 and the lockdowns and restrictions and unrest in many parts of the world that we all thought would be a thing of the past are more severe than they ever have. The storm we thought would be just a short season has entered into its second year. But I want to encourage you to hold onto hope! Not hope in the things of this world for the will let us down time and again, but hope in the only stable force that exists...God. Only by having hope in God can we remain anchored through the storms of life!

It's easy to focus on a storm. They are loud, chaotic and often violent. I use to love to listen to thunderstorms from the comfort of my home. I was safe from its elements under the safety of the roof over my head. However, my situation and view of that storm would be vastly different if I were standing out in the wind and the lashing rain. The surrounding elements and the roar of the thunder wouldn’t be so fun to experience standing in the open air feeling the violent effects of the storm and risking the potential harm from falling or flying debris, not to mention the possibility of being struck by lightning.

We always seek shelter from storms. When we’re in the middle of a storm it can be difficult to see anything beyond the storm that surrounds and threatens. Of course the storms which often threaten to break our spirits aren’t the natural storms, but circumstances and situations in our lives which cause such anxiet. I've experience many storms in my life before 2020, some nearly drowned me, but God was always faithful to see me through. His promises in scripture gave me faith and hope that not only was He with me through those storms, but that we would guide me through them.

What has helped keep me anchored during these storms is that no matter what this life throws at me, God is always there to anchor me until the storm passed.

There will always be storms in life. Jesus said in John 10:10

“The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.”

The devil only has one intent, to cause you harm. Many storms are the work of our enemy and some may be the work of our own hand, but we can always rest upon Jesus word that He has come to give us life. What does this mean for you and I? It means that when we can put our hope in God and choose to live having faith in Him. When we do this it will cause us to rise above those storms. If you’ve ever been in a plane to travel you might have noticed that a pilot when a storm is near, instead of trying to fly through it they will attempt to rise above it.

Our faith in God based on His word allows Him to intervene on our behalf. In Psalm 91 the Psalmist David paints the beautiful picture for us of shelter and safety for those who put their trust in God. I highly recommend that you read Psalm 91, think about its promises and pray them over yourself and your family. You will never be disappointed when you put your hope in God. That hope we have, is anchored in God's promise through Jesus.

Jesus came to give us hope, to give us life. That life He gives is so much greater than just simply living in this world, but eternal life with beyond the touch of sin and it’s decay. In this life we live on earth, we will always experience the effects of sin in this world. It’s all around us. But the immovable hope that we have through Christ is an anchor to all who put their trust in Him. For those of us who have found Jesus, we know that we have found the answer. The Apostle Peter said in ‭‭1 Peter‬ ‭1:6‬

“So be truly glad. There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you must endure many trials for a little while.”

This world is full of storms and though many of them we may have to endure, such as the storm we have called Covid, but what we set our minds and hearts on is not the trials of this world, but the joy that lays ahead of us. Christ steadies those who place their faith in Him even in the midst of those storms.

I want to encourage you to keep your eyes upon Jesus. Don’t look at the storms swirling around you. Remember, like all storms, they have a beginning and an end. You will never be disappointed when you put your hope in Christ.