Friday, June 1, 2007

Hope as an Anchor

Heb. 6:17-20
17 So when God desired to show more convincingly to the heirs of the promise the unchangeable character of his purpose, he guaranteed it with an oath, 18 so that by two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled for refuge might have strong encouragement to hold fast to the hope set before us. 19 We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters into the inner place behind the curtain, 20 where Jesus has gone as a forerunner on our behalf, having become a high priest forever after the order of Melchizedek.

  • How does knowing that God's purpose has an unchangeable character make you feel?
  • What causes you to believe what God says?
  • How often do you feel that we are fleeing for refuge in God?
  • Why are you strongly encouraged to hold on to the hope in front of you?
  • How does your hope in what God has promised anchor you during the storms of this life?
  • Where is your hope anchored?
Harold's Musings:
Two images come to mind when I read this passage. First image comes from when we lived in Charleston, SC, which is a major seaport. Large ships arriving daily and these ships have huge anchors connected to the ships with huge chains. The anchor is the only hope these ships have of drifting into harm's way if they are not at the dock. The other image is of a resurrected Jesus carrying a cross-shaped anchor through the torn curtain into the heavenly version of the Holy of Holies and setting it in deeply. Extending from that "anchor" all the way back to me is my hope in the resurrection. Just as a ship captain has to set his anchor and ride out the waves, I need to hang on to my hope in the resurrection. How deeply set is your anchor?

1 comment:

Michael O said...

What causes you to believe what God says?

This is the toughest question I face because it runs deep into the heart of my trained skepticism. I wish that I had a better answer beyond saying that God’s words resonate with me. I suppose one could argue that God’s “eBAY seller rating” is optimal, but that is still a matter of human perspective…