The Hope That Is the Strong Anchor for Your Life
Photo by Pascal Debrunner on Unsplash
Promises
How can we know if a promise is trustworthy? People make promises that are often more like intentions than genuine promises. We might "promise" to call someone or pray for them later, but we say promise as more of an assurance of our intention than a sincere commitment.
Politicians, salespeople, and even entrepreneurs make lots of promises, but if we're wise, we only accept these promises with a grain of salt. There always seems to be a loophole, excuse, or contingency that gives them a way out of making good on their promises.
A promise is only as good as the person who makes it. Even then, it's only reliable if the person has the capacity or power to keep their promise.
Wouldn't it be great if there were someone whose promises were rock-solid and sure? There is. God.
Scripture Text
God made a promise to Abraham. Since he had no one greater on whom to base his oath, he based it on himself. He said, “I will certainly bless you and give you many descendants.” So Abraham received what God promised because he waited patiently for it.
When people take oaths, they base their oaths on someone greater than themselves. Their oaths guarantee what they say and end all arguments. God wouldn’t change his plan. He wanted to make this perfectly clear to those who would receive his promise, so he took an oath. [vss 13-15]
God did this so that we would be encouraged. God cannot lie when he takes an oath or makes a promise. These two things can never be changed. Those of us who have taken refuge in him hold on to the confidence we have been given.
We have this confidence as a sure and strong anchor for our lives. This confidence goes into the holy place behind the curtain where Jesus went before us on our behalf. He has become the chief priest forever in the way Melchizedek was a priest. [vss 16-20]
(Hebrews 6:13-20 GW) [Context– Hebrews 6]
Key Phrase —
We have this confidence [hope] as a sure and strong anchor for our lives.
Dig Deeper Into the Text—
What promise did God make to Abraham, and what are we told about it?
What key word/words show us how Abraham received God's promise?
What are the two things that can't change and that God cannot do?
What hope do we have as believers and how is it an "anchor" for our soul?
Things to Consider—
Truth originates from God. He cannot lie. His promises are true and He is faithful. Our hope in Him is sure, and it’s why all other hopes fail. Any hope in ourselves, someone else, or something will fail at some point in time. When we put our hope in God, it is certain. It’s not wishful thinking but a sure confidence.
God made good on His promise to Abraham (Gen 21:5). He made Abraham a father of many nations by giving him Isaac. God’s promise of a personal relationship with Him rests upon His personal guarantee, and the coming of His Son confirms it.
Jesus—the only true Son of God by nature (Heb 1:2-3)—guarantees our hope and trust in Him as our Savior. The Lord’s resurrection from the dead proves this guarantee, demonstrating His victory over death and sin’s power.
So, Jesus can become an anchor for your soul. He is immovable and unshakeable, and He opened the way into the very presence of God, the Father. The phrase “into the holy place behind the curtain where Jesus went before us” tells us this. The holiest part of the Jewish Temple represented God’s presence on earth under the Old Covenant.
By faith, as followers of Jesus, we follow Him into the very presence of God. He is our confidence, our sure hope, our anchor. He keeps us from being moved by whatever may swirl around us and our lives.
If it seems your life is drifting into confusion or chaos in this ever-changing world, it’s time to anchor your life in Him who is unchanging. God’s nature is unchanging, as are His promises. He is trustworthy. Our confident hope in Him anchors our lives.
If you don’t have that sure confidence in the Lord, reach out to Him with an honest prayer of faith. Put your trust in Him. God is the strong anchor you need in your life.
Answer These Questions to Apply God’s Word in Your Life—
Do you have a genuine personal trust relationship with the Lord Jesus?
Have you come to a place of trusting God and His promises?
Are you willing to trust God in the same way Abraham did, with confident patience?
If you're a follower of Jesus, how is your life a reflection of God's faithfulness?
Here’s a link to a free study guide for the book of Hebrews— Study Guide and Study Questions for Hebrews
