spiritual forerunner, and His name is Jesus. Following His resurrection, He led the way to heaven to prepare a place for us, ensuring that we too will be raised to live a new life in heaven.
Jesus is your
anchorarius
, your steadfast hope, your sturdy anchor, keeping you afloat when the buckling winds and battering waves slam against you. No storm is strong enough to separate you from your Almighty Anchor . . . not even an inch. Nothing is destructive enough to detach you from your Anchor. He holds you firm and secure.
This is God’s promise to every authentic Christian:
We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain [heaven], where Jesus, who went before us, has entered on our behalf. (Heb. 6:19–20)
SIX SPIRITUAL ASPECTS OF AN ANCHOR
Ultimately Jesus will lead you to your final home . . . the safe harbor of heaven. And there the storms of life will stop and be forever still.
To help you always remember that God is the only Anchor we can truly rely on and to help you clearly understand what biblical, Christian hope is, ponder the following points based on the acronym ANCHOR:
A ccept Christ as your only hope. “I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you” (Eph. 1:18).
N ever put your hope in what is seen but in what is unseen. “In this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience” (Rom. 8:24–25 esv).
C laim the plans God has for your future. “I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future” (Jer. 29:11).
H ope in the redeeming power of God. “Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God” (Ps. 42:5–6 ).
O ffer genuine faith, hope, and love to other Christians. “We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, because we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love you have for all the saints—the faith and love that spring from the hope that is stored up for you in heaven” (Col. 1:3–5).
R each out to others so they might know the hope of His calling. “Put your hope in the Lord, for with the Lord is unfailing love and with him is full redemption” (Ps. 130:7).
Ships at sea cannot survive severe storms without the use of anchors. And if you are anchorless on the “sea of life,” neither will you survive. Traumatic tides of trouble will wash you ashore . . . beaten, battered, and bemoaning the purposelessness of it all. But with Jesus as your Anchor you not only have
peace
, you have
perspective
—that no pain is pointless, that all that happens to you is purposeful as God unfolds His perfect plan for your life.
And that perfect plan involves
storms
, according to God’s infinite wisdom. But because of God’s infinite love, He has provided an invincible Anchor that will never let go of you.
He is my loving God and my fortress, my stronghold and my deliverer, my shield, in whom I take refuge. (Ps. 144:2)
Anchoring Your Hope:
Outmaneuvering the Enemy
11
The USS
Constitution
sailed out of Chesapeake Bay, headed northward for New York in the early weeks of the War of 1812. Her crew was dismayed to encounter a large squadron of British warships. The fleet—including four mid-sized warships and one smaller ship—clearly had the
Constitution
outnumbered, outmanned, outgunned
.
In his official report to the Secretary of the Navy, Captain Isaac Hull described the threat: “Saw two frigates . . . One within five or six miles and [four vessels] about ten to twelve miles . . . all in chase of us . . . coming up very fast.” 12
Throughout the night of July 17, the British ships sailing under the Union Jack jockeyed for position to
Jesus is your
anchorarius
, your steadfast hope, your sturdy anchor, keeping you afloat when the buckling winds and battering waves slam against you. No storm is strong enough to separate you from your Almighty Anchor . . . not even an inch. Nothing is destructive enough to detach you from your Anchor. He holds you firm and secure.
This is God’s promise to every authentic Christian:
We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain [heaven], where Jesus, who went before us, has entered on our behalf. (Heb. 6:19–20)
SIX SPIRITUAL ASPECTS OF AN ANCHOR
Ultimately Jesus will lead you to your final home . . . the safe harbor of heaven. And there the storms of life will stop and be forever still.
To help you always remember that God is the only Anchor we can truly rely on and to help you clearly understand what biblical, Christian hope is, ponder the following points based on the acronym ANCHOR:
A ccept Christ as your only hope. “I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you” (Eph. 1:18).
N ever put your hope in what is seen but in what is unseen. “In this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience” (Rom. 8:24–25 esv).
C laim the plans God has for your future. “I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future” (Jer. 29:11).
H ope in the redeeming power of God. “Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God” (Ps. 42:5–6 ).
O ffer genuine faith, hope, and love to other Christians. “We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, because we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love you have for all the saints—the faith and love that spring from the hope that is stored up for you in heaven” (Col. 1:3–5).
R each out to others so they might know the hope of His calling. “Put your hope in the Lord, for with the Lord is unfailing love and with him is full redemption” (Ps. 130:7).
Ships at sea cannot survive severe storms without the use of anchors. And if you are anchorless on the “sea of life,” neither will you survive. Traumatic tides of trouble will wash you ashore . . . beaten, battered, and bemoaning the purposelessness of it all. But with Jesus as your Anchor you not only have
peace
, you have
perspective
—that no pain is pointless, that all that happens to you is purposeful as God unfolds His perfect plan for your life.
And that perfect plan involves
storms
, according to God’s infinite wisdom. But because of God’s infinite love, He has provided an invincible Anchor that will never let go of you.
He is my loving God and my fortress, my stronghold and my deliverer, my shield, in whom I take refuge. (Ps. 144:2)
Anchoring Your Hope:
Outmaneuvering the Enemy
11
The USS
Constitution
sailed out of Chesapeake Bay, headed northward for New York in the early weeks of the War of 1812. Her crew was dismayed to encounter a large squadron of British warships. The fleet—including four mid-sized warships and one smaller ship—clearly had the
Constitution
outnumbered, outmanned, outgunned
.
In his official report to the Secretary of the Navy, Captain Isaac Hull described the threat: “Saw two frigates . . . One within five or six miles and [four vessels] about ten to twelve miles . . . all in chase of us . . . coming up very fast.” 12
Throughout the night of July 17, the British ships sailing under the Union Jack jockeyed for position to
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