November 30, 2021
“We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain, where Jesus our forerunner has entered on our behalf.”—Hebrews 6:19–201
The heroes in the Bible came from all walks of life: rulers, servants, teachers, doctors. They were male, female, single, and married. Yet one common denominator united them: they built their lives on the promises of God.
Because of God’s promises, Noah believed in rain before rain was a word. Because of God’s promises, Abraham left a good home for one he’d never seen. Because of God’s promises, Joshua led two million people into enemy territory. Because of God’s promises, David conked a giant, Peter rose from the ashes of regret, and Paul found a grace worth dying for. …
From the first chapter of Scripture, the Bible makes a case for the dependability of God. Nine times the text reiterates “God said.” And without exception when God spoke, something happened. Something wonderful happened. By divine fiat there was light, land, beaches, and creatures... The reader is left with one conclusion: God’s word is sure. …
Could you use some unshakable hope? If so, you are not alone. We live in a day of despair… We’ve never been more educated. We have tools of technology our parents could not have dreamed of. We are saturated with entertainment and recreation. Yet more people than ever are orchestrating their own deaths. How could this be?
Among the answers must be this: people are dying for lack of hope. Secularism sucks the hope out of society. It reduces the world to a few decades between birth and hearse. Many people believe this world is as good as it gets, and let’s face it. It’s not that good.
But People of the Promise have an advantage. They determine to ponder, proclaim, and pray the promises of God… They filter life through the promises of God. When problems surface, they can be heard telling themselves, “But God said . . .” When struggles threaten, they can be seen flipping through Scripture, saying, “I think God said something about this.” When comforting others, they’re prone to ask, “Do you know God’s promise on this topic?”…
According to Peter, God’s promises aren’t just great; they are “very great.” They aren’t just valuable; they are “precious.”2 To bind them around your neck is to adorn yourself with the finest jewels of the universe. It is through the great and precious promises that we participate in the divine nature of God. They lead us into a new reality, a holy environment. They are direction signs intended to guide us away from the toxic swampland and into the clean air of heaven. …
We are building our lives on the promises of God. Because his Word is unbreakable, our hope is unshakable. We do not stand on the problems of life or the pain in life. We stand on the great and precious promises of God.—Max Lucado3
If your life is anchored to God’s Word, you don’t have to become flustered during stressful times.
In a world facing uncertain times, God’s people need hope now more than ever. But hope can be difficult to find when life seems to be caving in and all hell is breaking out around you—especially when you are facing financial pressures, family conflicts, and other stressful situations.
The Bible says there will come a day when everything that can be shaken will be shaken, so “the things which cannot be shaken may remain.”4 I believe we are experiencing that shaking today, and it’s only just beginning.
So, what does this mean for us? It means we must find God’s hope amid the stormy and stressful seasons of life. Thankfully, God offers us a reliable anchor, assuring us of victory: “This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which enters the Presence behind the veil.”5 Notice that our anchor of hope must enter into the presence of the Lord, “behind the veil.” …
The Apostle Paul pointed out that because of this kind of hope, grounded in the promises of God, “We do not lose heart … we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.”6 So if you’re feeling stressed out today, pause for a moment to look past the temporary cares and trials of this world. Fix your eyes on Jesus instead, for He’s “the author and finisher of our faith.”7
This unshakable hope must be a reality in our lives, not just a nice religious theory. A person who is fully trusting in the Lord will experience His “perfect peace” even when times are tough: “You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You.”8
Isn’t that good news? No matter what you may be going through, you can say as David did, “I have set the Lord always before me; because He is at my right hand I shall not be moved.”9 …
Jesus offers hope for the hopeless. He’s our strength and confidence, our Rock in times of trouble. Although He never pretended life would be easy, He gave us this great promise: “Trusting Me, you will be unshakable and assured, deeply at peace. In this godless world you will continue to experience difficulties. But take heart! I’ve conquered the world.”10
What a great anchor for us when the storms of life come!—Ben Cerullo11
Meditating on Jesus and learning to stop and get calm before Him, no matter what else is going on in your life, no matter what else is going on around you, makes it possible to praise Him in and through everything—even when you’re facing what seem like impossible situations. The fruits of praise grow from the roots of learning to rest in Jesus, as this poem from Giles Fletcher (written in 1588) so beautifully portrays:
There is a calm the quiet in spirit know,
That softens sorrow, and that sweetens woe;
There is a peace that dwells within the breast,
When all without is stormy and distressed;
There is light that gilds the darkest hour.
When dangers thicken and when tempests lower,
It is through faith and prayer and praise that calm is given,
That peace remains when all beside is riven,
That light shines down to man direct from heaven.
Someone whose anchor held through all the troubles in life that almost overwhelmed her, and the grief that she endured, and the storms that almost obscured her light, was Fanny Crosby. Fanny was the famous American poetess who became blind at six weeks of age through improper medical treatment. Before she went home to be with the Lord at the age of 95, she had written more than 8,000 gospel hymns. Millions have been touched by the beauty of the words that flowed from her pen.
Fanny had every excuse in her life for giving up. But instead, she decided to try to find the good in every situation, step by step and day by day, and she found that she could be content. Fanny’s song “It’ll All Be Right at Last” is a good example of this, as these stanzas so wonderfully express:
Pray on, pray on, O weary not,
Though great thy conflict be;
Look bravely up, and trust in Him
Whose love abides with thee.
Remember how He led thee forth,
Thro’ toil and dangers past;
Though yet unanswered is thy prayer,
It’ll all be right at last.
Pray on, pray on, and never faint,
Though oft severely tried;
If thine a persevering faith,
It will not be denied.
Pray on, pray on, with steadfast hope,
For thou shalt yet prevail;
“Ask what thou wilt, it shall be done,”
The promise cannot fail.
Cling firmly to the solid rock,
And hold the anchor fast;
The clouds will break, the light will come,
It’ll all be right at last.
“Ask what thou wilt, it shall be done. His promise cannot fail.” Intercessory prayer is a very important part of being able to rest in the Lord. If we’re truly resting in the Lord, we have made our requests known to Him and committed our cares into His hands. That’s why we can rest and be calm in spirit, with the quiet assurance that everything is going to be all right, it’ll all be right at last. In other words, God’s going to take care of everything, so we don’t need to worry.
When we cast all our cares and anxiety on Him, knowing He cares for us,12 then we can enter into quiet prayer, just looking up into His face. It is like quietly opening a door and slipping into the very presence of God, listening to His still, small voice in our heart or basking in the wonder of His love in silence.—Maria Fontaine
Published on Anchor November 2021. Read by Gabriel Garcia Valdivieso.
Music by John Listen.
1 BER.
2 2 Peter 1:4.
3 Max Lucado, Unshakable Hope (Thomas Nelson, 2018).
4 Hebrews 12:27–28.
5 Hebrews 6:19.
6 2 Corinthians 4:16–18.
7 Hebrews 12:2.
8 Isaiah 26:3.
9 Psalm 16:8.
10 John 16:33 MSG.
12 1 Peter 5:7.
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