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Pearls of the Kingdom 5/24/23
Consider this portion of scripture today as we consider “HOPE”:
Heb 6:13-20 “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. People 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 set before 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 our forerunner, Jesus, has entered on our behalf. He has become a high priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek.”
As we will find in the scriptures, something what happens in the natural can be used to help us understand a biblical principle, truth or concept. Interesting that our writer draws a comparison, similarity of hope with that of a ships anchor. I must believe that our listeners could relate to this picture.
No ships captain will leave port without a sure (strong, safe, secure, certain) and steadfast (trustworthy, firm, stable) anchor. One can not tie a rope onto a rock and expect that to hold the ship in the midst of a storm. There can be no substitute for a sure and steadfast anchor.
We live in days and times where one’s “hope” can come under attack. It can be likened to a ship navigating the open seas during a storm. The waves and wind attack the ship, tossing it from side to side. The storm will try to stop the ship from reaching its destination safely.
For the believer, having hope is important. Hope will keep you and hold you, see you through the hardest storms while lost hope will bring anxiety, fear and despair. How important it is for the believer to know where their hope lies.
Hope, like a ships anchor must be set and secured. The sandy sea bottom will not hold. The anchor must be set into the solid rock. It is only in the solid rock that the anchor can hold and keep the ship. The believer’s hope is found in the solid rock, Jesus. There is no other, there is no substitute for God’s one and only Son, Jesus.
The believer can have a confidence that their hope is safe and secure. This is based upon the fact that God does not lie. He does not change His mind. He fulfills His promises. Just ask Abraham. The believer has this confidence knowing that Jesus has gone ahead, He has made the way and secured (anchored) our hope in the heavens above.
My prayer for you today my friend, that you would have this confidence, assurance, that Jesus is your hope, your anchor, hold onto the one that holds onto you, May Jesus hold you and keep you through the storms of life,
Pastor Jeff