Welcome to another day the Lord has made that we should rejoice and be glad in. (Psalms 118:24)

This weekend I listened to sermons from three separate preachers, and to my surprise all three messages were about hope. I believe the Holy Spirit’s emphasis on hope is a sign that it should be our theme this week.

Accordingly, let’s begin today anchoring ourselves with hope.

Today’s scripture, Hebrews 6:17-19 (NLT), says…
[17] God also bound himself with an oath, so that those who received the promise could be perfectly sure that he would never change his mind. [18] So God has given both his promise and his oath. These two things are unchangeable because it is impossible for God to lie. Therefore, we who have fled to him for refuge can have great confidence as we hold to the hope that lies before us. [19] This hope is a strong and trustworthy anchor for our souls. It leads us through the curtain into God’s inner sanctuary.

Consider…
An anchor is a device, normally made of metal, used to secure a vessel to the bed of a body of water to prevent the craft from drifting due to wind or current.

Today’s scripture says there’s a hope that is a trustworthy anchor for our souls.

So what is the hope that secures our souls in the midst of the raging storms of life? It’s that God will keep His promises. Let’s read verse 17 again…
God also bound himself with an oath, so that those who received the promise could be perfectly sure that he would never change his mind.

That means God will give us the peace He promises in Isaiah 26:3 (NLT)…
[3] You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you!

As a matter of fact God reiterates His promise in Philippians 4:6-7 (NLT), which says…
[6] Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. [7] Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.

So today, let God’s promise of peace anchor your soul with hope when the worries of life bombard you.

Another promise anchor of hope found in God is His faithfulness. Lamentations 3:21-25 (NLT) testifies…
[21] Yet I still dare to hope when I remember this: [22] The faithful love of the Lord never ends! His mercies never cease. [23] Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning. [24] I say to myself, “The LORD is my inheritance; therefore, I will hope in him!” [25] The LORD is good to those who depend on him, to those who search for him.

I encourage you to drop your anchor of hope each day in the promises that…

• God is faithful
• God’s mercies are new every morning
• We have an inheritance in the LORD
• The LORD will be good to us when we focus on Him

Another promise that we can anchor our souls to is the sufficiency of God’s grace. The same promise that the LORD made to Paul in 2 Corinthians 12:9-10 (NLT) is trustworthy for us. Here’s Paul’s testimony…
[9] Each time he said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me. [10] That’s why I take pleasure in my weaknesses, and in the insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

I encourage you in times of weakness to anchor your soul in the hope of God’s promised strength.

Still another trustworthy promise of God that you can drop the hope anchor for your soul in is Isaiah 54:17 (NLT) which says…
[17] But in that coming day no weapon turned against you will succeed. You will silence every voice raised up to accuse you. These benefits are enjoyed by the servants of the LORD; their vindication will come from me. I, the LORD, have spoken!

I also like the new testament derivative of this promise found in Romans 8:33 (NLT)…
[33] Who dares accuse us whom God has chosen for his own? No one—for God himself has given us right standing with himself.

I encourage you to drop your anchor of hope in God’s promise to be good with Him regardless of what people say or do to you.

There are far too many promises to list, but I encourage you to search the Bible for more of them. However, I do want to leave you with 2 Corinthians 1:20-22 (NLT) which says…
[20] For all of God’s promises have been fulfilled in Christ with a resounding “Yes!” And through Christ, our “Amen” (which means “Yes”) ascends to God for his glory. [21] It is God who enables us, along with you, to stand firm for Christ. He has commissioned us, [22] and he has identified us as his own by placing the Holy Spirit in our hearts as the first installment that guarantees everything he has promised us.

If all of God’s promises have been fulfilled in Christ, then I encourage you to drop the hope anchor for your soul in Jesus! That makes me think of the hymn lyrics…

My hope is built on nothing less
Than Jesus’ blood and righteousness
I dare not trust the sweetest frame
But wholly lean on Jesus’ name

On Christ the solid rock I stand
All other ground is sinking sand
All other ground is sinking sand

When darkness veils his lovely face
I rest on His unchanging grace
In every high and stormy gale
My anchor holds within the veil

His oath, his covenant, his blood
Supports me in the ‘whelming flood
When all around my soul gives way
He then is all my hope and stay

On Christ the solid rock I stand
All other ground is sinking sand
All other ground is sinking sand

Today, I encourage you to anchor your soul in the hope of God’s promises.

Today’s Song is…
My Soul Is Anchored

Blessings 4HG (1 Corinthians 10:31)