An Anchor for the Soul

"We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure.

It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain, 

where our forerunner, Jesus, has entered on our behalf."

Hebrews 6:19-20

A friend and I were discussing just the other afternoon that we believe many Christians have a difficult time taking God at His Word.   We are missing the point when we make it our goal to take pieces and parts of the Bible and incorporate them into our daily lives, rather than basing our lives as a whole upon every word out of the mouth of God.  When you and I pick apart Scripture at our leisure, we dangerously enter into a roller-coaster mentality of circumstantial faith.

Scripture does not at any point suggest that we base our faith on circumstances.  Instead, it demands that we put our hope in God - the God of the Bible.  I am convinced that if more Christians got to know our God through the reading and study of the Bible, we would experience an increase of faith - the added measure we all may be secretly hoping and praying for.

Hebrews 6:13-20 is a beautiful depiction of God's desire for us as believers: that our hope would be deeply rooted in faith.  A faith that is firm and secure.  And this kind of faith - the kind that is intertwined into our being, into our soul.  I am going to type it out just in case you don't have your Bible near, as I believe it is important for us to see it in context.  Here it is in the New American Standard version:

For when God made the promise to Abraham, since He could swear by no one greater, He swore by Himself saying, "I will surely bless you, and I will surely multiply you." And thus, having waited, he obtained the promise.

For men swear by one greater than themselves, and with them an oath given as confirmation is an end of every dispute.  

In the same way God, desiring even more to show to the heirs of the promise the unchangeableness of His purpose, interposed with an oath, in order than by the two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we may have strong encouragement, we who have fled for refuge in laying hold of the hope set before us.

This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, a hope both sure and steadfast and one which enters within the veil, where Jesus has entered as a forerunner for us, having become a high priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek. (Hebrews 6:13-20, NASB)   

Do you think it is interesting that the writer of Hebrews reverts back to the issue of faith in order to support his reasoning for trusting God for security?  This is why, ladies: Because when you and I can be reminded of a promise of God that was both fulfilled and carried out - especially after a long period of waiting - it acts as evidence for us that our hope is not in vain.  It acts as evidence for us that our God is exceedingly abundantly able (Ephesians 3:20) and that we are absolutely foolish to place our hope in anything or anyone other than Him!    

We often get caught up in placing our security in the wrong things or people, don't we?  Even good things and good people.  Some of us place our security in our finances and jobs.  Others place their security in spouses, in circumstances, in other people.  Here is the point: None of this - not even the best things - are worthy of our security.  None of these things we place our security in, are strong enough to uphold our expectations.  

Scripture says that we have a hope that is an anchor for our soul - a hope that is sure and steadfast, that is firm and secure.  This anchor is stable.  It will not fail or waver.  It is immovable.  It is an anchor on which we can rely.  Did you get that?  

Our hope in Jesus in an anchor for our soul.  And this hope we speak of is founded and based on Jesus Christ, therefore He is all these things: He is sure, steadfast. He is firm and secure.  He is immovable.  He is stable.  He will not fail or waver.  He will not let us down.

Knowing this, how we can ever consider it a wise investment to place our hope in anything else but Jesus?  

God is calling us, as women of the Word, to rise up and place our security in Him.  He is asking us to trust and believe Him to fulfill His promises in our lives.  Even when it's hard. Even when it's crazy.  Even when we're alone in the waiting.  [Side note: Don't you think Abraham felt alone as he awaited the fulfillment of the promise of God?] 

But here is the thing:  We cannot have faith in someone we do not know.  Once we know the God of the Bible - know His character - we have no excuse not to trust the Lord Jesus.  Absolutely no excuse.  So this is where it begins: We have to begin to understand and know His character.  The more we understand the character of God, the greater our faith should  increase, abound and overflow, until our hope is fully based alone on His ability (more of Him, less of us) and we find ourselves secure believers!

Wait on him, dear sister: With hopeful expectation that He will act on your behalf.  Your security could not possibly rest in a more excellent place.  

Thank You, Jesus, for Your Word.  It is Life.  It inspires, convicts, redeems, and blesses.  Thank You for the encouragement we find in Your Word.  The more we know of Your character - how firm and secure You are - the greater our faith will increase.  

Let's go show a lost and broken world that there is a hope that is an anchor for the soul ...

Whose name is Jesus.