Need an anchor for your ship in the storm?

How about the anchor of Hope?  Hope is a casual word that gets tossed around a lot today. But what is Hope really. And what is an anchor? And why did God combine the two?

This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which enters the Presence behind the veil Hebrews 6:19

Well, most of us know that an anchor is that huge iron hook that is tossed over the side of a ship. It drags along the ocean bottom until it catches in a rock or a crag and then it keeps the ship in place. It keeps the ship stable and firm and sure, even during a storm.

But how can hope keep our ship firm. How can hope keep us steady and sure when life seems to be falling down around us? Isn't hope just a nice word that makes us feel good? Isn't it just something we wish would happen but we aren't sure it will?

But after studying the Bible, I've come to believe that the hope God is talking about is so much more than just wishful thinking.

1. Hope is a real, tangible reality of something good in our future

For we were saved in this hope, but hope that is seen is not hope; for why does one still hope for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for it with perseverance Romans 8:24-25


2. Hope is more than an anchor, it is a refuge

that by two immutable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we might have strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold of the hope set before us.


3. Hope is something we can believe. In other words, it is not a dream or a wish
who, contrary to hope, in hope believed, so that he became the father of many nations, according to what was spoken, Romans 4:18
 
Okay, so what are we hoping for? What is our hope in?
 
1. We hope for the glory of an inheritance
...that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, Ephesians 1:17-18

2. We hope for the riches laid up for us in Heaven since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of your love for all the saints; because of the hope which is laid up for you in heaven, of which you heard before in the word of the truth of the gospel Colossians 1:4-5


3. We hope for the riches of Christ's glory
To them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ in you, the hope of glory Colossians 1:27

4. We hope for salvation from this world and the wrath of God (notice that hope protects our mind from Satan)
But let us who are of the day be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet the hope of salvation. For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, 1 Thess 5:8-9


4. We hope for an eternal, gloried body!
Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.  And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure 1 John 3:2-4


5. We hope for the return of Jesus
teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, Titus 2:12-14

6  We hope for eternal life
that having been justified by His grace we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.Titus 3:7

It's easy to see that our Hope is in things eternal: eternal life in the presence of God, glorified bodies, an inheritance with the saints, life in heaven, salavation from God's wrath, the return of Jesus!  All these things are promised to believers by God. They will happen. They are our future. Hope is not in something that might or might not happen. Our hope is in a sure thing!
Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful Hebrews 10 22-23

You may be surrounded by trials and struggles and problems. You may be overwhelmed by the things going on in the world and even in your own family. You may wonder if you'll ever feel hope again.  But I have good news. You can get hope!. It's not out of your reach!. It has nothing to do with circumstances.

How do we get hope?
 
1. We get hope by reading the Bible
For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope Romans 15:4 And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance;  and perseverance, character; and character, hope.  Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us Romans 5:3-5

2. We get hope by going through trials, leaning on God, and coming out victorious

 
So, what are you waiting for? Get a good dosage of Hope today! It's free. It's invaluable and it will anchor you firmly in the midst of the storms.
 
Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. Romans 15:13