Big Idea: The Son of God is our anchor.
When people say things, sometimes they follow through, and sometimes they do not. When they don’t, sometimes it is their fault, and sometimes it is beyond their control. Because of this uncertainty, when someone wants to assure you that they are going to make a particular effort, they say things like “I promise.” Jesus taught that Christians should not need these kinds of oaths, because we should be people of such integrity that when we say “yes,” people know we mean “yes,” and when we say “no,” people know we mean “no” (Matthew 5:37). But with God, there is no uncertainty. He never lies, and can always accomplish what He says: His word needs no special assurances, because He is faithful and true. Yet, when He made His promise to Abraham, He did swear. Maybe that is not shocking enough to us. He went beyond what He really needed to do to reassure us. Our hope is secure.
When we face difficulties in this life, we know that God’s promise to make us His own is sealed with an oath and testified by the death of His Son. We can hold tight to the refuge we have found; it will never move. The author of Hebrews uses a powerful image: our hope is an anchor for our souls. There may be some wordplay here, the Greek word for anchor (ankyron) and the word for Lord (kyrios) sound very similar. But whether that wordplay was intended or not, the analogy is clear. Anchoring a boat means that you are secure no matter what happens on the surface, and our hope in God is the same. Jesus has promised that all of us who put our faith in Him are secure, and no tossing and turning of life can shake that anchor.
The anchor of our hope is not placed in the shifting mud of the ocean floor or in an abstract idea or theological construct. Our anchor goes within the curtain, into the presence of God. We have an anchor because we know that the greatest struggles of this life were already overcome by Jesus. We have an anchor because we know that whatever struggles we face, we have a perfect advocate in Heaven. We have an anchor because we know that the same Jesus who is enthroned in Heaven is coming again to end death and pain once and for all. While the waves of this life may toss us side to side, we know that beneath the surface, God’s plan is secure. The Son of God is our anchor!
Discussion Idea: When was a time that you felt unstable and insecure? How did someone help you to feel better? How does Jesus’ role as our anchor help us to handle the storms of life?
Prayer Focus: Identify some turbulence in your life, and specifically pray for God to be your anchor in those areas.
