An anchor for our soul

Victorian author Samuel Barber has been credited with this quote:  “Oaths are but words, and words but wind.”  When it comes to mankind, most promises that are made are seldom kept.  It’s a way of life, and it has been that way since the beginning of time.  It’s hard to find anyone who will keep their word.

Not so with God.  All throughout scripture, God has proven to man that He keeps His word.  In the Bible Hebrews 6 is a whole chapter about how God followed through on His promises to Abraham.  God told him “I will be your God, and you will be my people.”  He also promises Abraham that “…I will bless both you and your descendants.”  He swears it by His own name because there was nothing more concrete that God could swear by.  In verse 19 we see it say that as Christians, “We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure.”

As I thought about that statement “…this hope is our anchor for our soul” I began to think of what anchors do:

• Anchors hold ships in one place, no matter what else is going on around it.  God’s word and His promises do the same thing.  Our hope in Jesus and His word keep us grounded no matter what the world is saying or doing around us.
• Anchors keep ships from running aground.  When we hear false teaching (self-help, false religion, humanism, etc) God’s word and His promises keep us from running aground spiritually.
• Anchors are thrown overboard in times of trouble.  Whenever trouble hits a ship and they are in fear of sinking, anchors are used to call a “timeout” in order for them to regroup.  The same is true for God and His word.  God’s promise of being our God and making us His children are the kind of hope we need to keep us grounded when everything around us is falling apart.
• Anchors are firm and secure.  Ultimately God’s promise to Abraham was Jesus Christ, and the forgiveness of sins.  If you have that promise and hope in Christ as your Savior, it is firm and secure.  It cannot be lost.

Keep God’s promise, His word, and the salvation offered to you through Jesus as an anchor for your soul.  It’s rock solid, and something you can count on 100%.