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Anchoring our hope beyond what we can see

Hebrews 6:19-20 (NIV) We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain, where our forerunner, Jesus, has entered on our behalf … [emphasis added]

I’m a boatie – I love the water and I love diving. You may not know this, but one of the greatest securities you have on a boat is an anchor. 

If you’re stuck out on a boat in a storm, the best thing you can do is drop the anchor. Get it embedded in the sea floor. Then it will keep the bow (the front of the boat) facing head-on into the wind and waves. When the bow faces into the waves it diminishes their force. But if a wave breaks side-on or from behind, it can roll or swamp the boat. 

Often, when something unexpected happens, many people – even Christians – turn side-on. Or, they turn away and try to outrun the storm. They forget to use their anchor, get caught by the waves, and are capsized by the weight of the water. 

So much of the time, we can’t see things with our natural eyes alone. This ‘short-sightedness’ is something that takes a lot of Christians’ hope away. All they see is what’s happening now, rather than what God is going to do through what’s happening. 

The technical term for short-sightedness is myopia. It occurs when your eyeball is too long, your cornea is overly curved, or your lens is too thick. The impact is that the light isn’t properly refracted, causing distant objects to appear blurry and out-of-focus. 

Can you see why the enemy wants to cut off your hope, and to stop you from seeing with God’s eyes? He wants your position to be unsecured, adrift. He wants you to face the wrong way. To forget to use your anchor. He wants you to capsize, so he’s going to do everything he can to orchestrate situations that will weaken your hold on hope. 

The book of Hebrews tells us that we have an anchor for our soul that’s sure and steadfast. It’s an anchor of hope that enters the presence of God. If we deploy it, it will embed beyond what we can see, right into in His presence. 

On a boat, we trust in the existence of the sea floor, even though all we see are waves. In the same way, we can trust that we are anchored to God’s presence and promises, even though our physical eyes only see the unrest on the surface. 

The Message translation of this passage describes our anchor of hope as ‘an unbreakable spiritual lifeline, reaching past all appearances right to the very presence of God’. We are told to ‘run for our very lives to God’, ‘grab the promised hope with both hands’, and ‘never let go’. 

Today, put your anchor in the presence and the durability and the trustworthiness of God. Recognize the limitations of your natural vision. Develop a wider view, beyond what you can see. Let the lens of God’s Word focus your perspective. If you drop the anchor of hope and ride the storm, He will keep you afloat.