We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters into the inner place behind the curtain.
--Hebrews 6:19
I think Hebrews 6:19 is one of the grandest statements in the Bible. I love the picture of hope as the anchor of our souls. A ship’s anchor holds it steady even when the winds are blowing hard and waves are crashing all around.
This kind of hope is what helps us cope with the reality of disappointment. Mary Magdalene in Scripture is a good example of this truth. The Bible tells us that Mary was possessed by seven demons when Jesus first met her. After He cast them out, Jesus continued to love Mary despite her sin and failures.
So she was understandably very disappointed and distraught when Jesus was crucified and then buried in the tomb (John 20). He had done so much for her, and now all she could do was weep bitter tears for Him. But then the resurrected Christ appeared to Mary, and her hope was instantly restored.
That’s what true hope…the hope found only in the resurrected Christ…can do for anyone who is overcome by disappointment and tragedy. No matter how devastating the circumstances, the hope found in Christ can overcome the pain.
Is your soul anchored in the hope of Jesus Christ? If so, you have an anchor that can hold you fast despite any storm!
Hope in Christ is an anchor for the soul. Is your hope anchored in Him today?
by Dr. Paul Chappell
“Let your loins be girded about, and your lights burning; And ye yourselves like unto men that wait for their lord, when he will return from the wedding; that when he cometh and knocketh, they may open unto him immediately. Blessed are those servants, whom the lord when he cometh shall find watching: verily I say unto you, that he shall gird himself, and make them to sit down to meat, and will come forth and serve them.”
Luke 12:35–37
President John Kennedy was fond of historical anecdotes that he used to illustrate his speeches. One of his favorites dated back to the American Revolution. In 1780, with the fate of the country still hanging in the balance as the war with England continued, the Connecticut House of Representatives meeting was in session. Suddenly the sky darkened ominously, even though it was the middle of the day. Some feared it was a sign of coming judgment and called for the body to be adjourned. But the Speaker of the House, Colonel Davenport, rose and said, “The Day of Judgment is either approaching, or it is not. If it is not, there is no cause for adjournment. If it is, I choose to be found doing my duty. Therefore, I wish that candles be brought.”
The reality that Jesus is coming back is one of the most powerful motivations that we have to do right and serve God. John wrote, “Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure” (1 John 3:2–3). The fact that Jesus has not yet returned does not change the fact that it could happen at any moment.
Today’s Growth Principle:
Every day we should live with the reality that Jesus is coming back, at the forefront of our thinking.
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