Day 9- The Anchor

Does your life ever feel like you're in a boat in the midst of conditions like these?? Where you feel like you just manage to catch your balance and the next wave comes and knocks you back over? Where you wonder, just as the disciples on the Sea of Galilee once wondered, if your God is just going to let the waves overpower and drown you?

It is in moments where we are thrown from side to side in turbulent waves where, if we cannot get out of the storm, we certainly pray for a heavy, reliable one of these to hold us secure:

Our study for today is on Hebrews 6: 19, Jesus as the ANCHOR. Before we look solely at verse 19, let's place it in its context. From reading earlier portions of Hebrews, it appears that the Hebrews were facing some sort of unmentioned hardship or danger. Paul's fear that they may be falling away can be detected in the whole of chapter 6 and it is clear that he does not want them to aimlessly drift away in the storm. They are, therefore, urged to consider where their hope is coming from and where it should rightly be coming from. Paul begins in verse 13 by reminding the Hebrews of someone who had his hope in the right place- God.

"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.

Men 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 offered to us may be greatly encouraged. We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain where Jesus, who went before us, has entered on our behalf. He has become a high priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek. " [Hebrews 6: 19]

It has often been said that the quality of a man's hope is the measure of the man. We read in verses 13-15 that Abraham's hope was in the greatest of all things, or shall we say, beings: God Himself. Despite a long wait, a doubtful wife, and old age, God proved Himself a worthy hope with the birth of the promised child: Isaac. Maybe the best part of this story is that Abraham died seeing only the birth of his son, Isaac, the firstfruit of God's response to His hope and faith. I wonder if He knows how many spiritual children He has had over the course of history. They have truly numbered greater than all the stars in the sky.

In verse 18, we find those who have taken hold of this hope in God to have fled. Fled to what? This presents an old testament picture of the cities of refuge which were set up for those who had been accused of murder to flee to for safety from those who would avenge the blood of the victim without understanding of the situation or certainty of the individual's guilt. But what are new Testament believers fleeing to? He who is Himself their security and refuge. Jesus Christ.

Verse 19 says that we have "this hope" as an anchor, firm and secure. "This hope" is Christ and His saving work on the cross. As we learned yesterday, He is the AMEN who confirms the promises of God. The hope that we have in Him keeps us from drifting away or being torn out of our path by the vicious storms of the world.

No matter what is going on in our lives today, Christ as our anchor holds firm, embedded in the rocks and muck below the surface. So, if He doesn't reach out and calm the storm as He did with the disciples, know today that if you are His, He is holding you fast. Though you might get seasick, though you might be uncomfortable or suffering, though you might feel afraid, may you know that Jesus Christ the anchor will withstand the storm. Trust the anchor. Place every bit of your hope on His strength and His ability to stand firm. He will not be moved.

This song was sung by Ray Boltz years ago. Though it is far from contemporary, the message of the song fits perfectly with our study today. It is my prayer that the Lord would use it to speak the worthy hope of Christ into the tidal waves of your life this day.

****CHANGE***Our study tomorrow will be on Jesus Christ as the Word from John 1:1. ****