The Anchor!
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
For men verily swear by the greater: and an oath for confirmation is to them an end of all strife. Wherein God, willing more abundantly to shew unto the heirs of promise the immutability of his counsel, confirmed it by an oath: that by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us: which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast, and which entereth into that within the veil
Hebrew 6: 16 – 19 (KJV)
I have always wondered about what our entire being anchors on. What keeps us going or makes us weather all storms? What conviction of a better tomorrow do we have? In the course of the past week while writing on “10 Commandments of Living in Recession”, the Commandment #4: Be Hopeful, where I spoke on Hopeful Barrack Obama and the fact that hope is what our very soul hinges on, I got thinking that HOPE is one of the most potent and unstoppable forces in the world, that can deliver our dreams and make us handle our dreams.
But how can hope be the anchor of our soul?
An anchor is “an object used to keep a ship or boat stationary in the water. An anchor is attached to a ship by a cable or chain, and when thrown overboard, the weight of the anchor digs into the sea bottom to keep the vessel from drifting or wandering away.” In short, hope is the only thing that keeps you from drifting away from God even in seemingly hopeless situations. Times when the waves of life seems to push here and there till the point where you just simply sit down to gaze at our big the issues confronting are, hope is still what to resort to.
Do you also know that the person that takes the last leg in a relay race is also called the anchor? Why? Because winning depends on the person. The Hope of the relay race hinges on the person. So also, winning in life hinges on your hope in God.
God is not our LAST hope but our ONLY hope!
Generally, an anchor provides stability. The times we are now are times where billionaires commit suicide, where age-long principles are failing but we know all hope is not lost for anyone connected to God because to him that is joined to the living there is HOPE. Hope means patient expectation.
Let me break it down to you…
The Hope I am referring to is not mere wishing for a dole out. Wishing is day dreaming but the hope I am referring to is the one that says “If God cannot give this thing, He still remains my God and I’ll stick with Him”
Even when you have tried all you can…. Prayed, fasted, believed, confessed, trusted and waited, hope is still what you can hang on. Abraham against hope (meaning when he had no reason to be hopeful) believed in hope, that what God has promised, He is able to perform. And that’s the point!
The Hope I am referring to is not mere wishing for a dole out. Wishing is day dreaming but the hope I am referring to is the one that says “If God cannot give this thing, He still remains my God and I’ll stick with Him”
Even when you have tried all you can…. Prayed, fasted, believed, confessed, trusted and waited, hope is still what you can hang on. Abraham against hope (meaning when he had no reason to be hopeful) believed in hope, that what God has promised, He is able to perform. And that’s the point!
What do we place our hope on?
The hymn written by Edward Mote (1797–1874) in a collection of his hymns and titled “The Immutable Basis of a Sinner’s Hope.” The first stanza and chorus reads;
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.
CHROUS
On Christ, the solid rock, I stand;
All other ground is sinking sand,
All other ground is sinking sand.
We can place our hope on the finished work on Calvary.
The truth is that all other ground may sink or fail you but Jesus Christ alone does not fail!
What can I do when situations around me seems hopeless;
The hymn written by Edward Mote (1797–1874) in a collection of his hymns and titled “The Immutable Basis of a Sinner’s Hope.” The first stanza and chorus reads;
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.
CHROUS
On Christ, the solid rock, I stand;
All other ground is sinking sand,
All other ground is sinking sand.
We can place our hope on the finished work on Calvary.
The truth is that all other ground may sink or fail you but Jesus Christ alone does not fail!
What can I do when situations around me seems hopeless;
WHAT CAN I DO WHEN THINGS SEEM HOPELESS?
PRAY- In the midst of Hannah’s hopelessness, she prayed to God, knowing that if any hope was to be found, it would be found in him. What a privilege to carry everything to God in prayers!
PRAISE- Paul and Silas were on death row for preaching about Jesus, yet in this hopeless situation they sang praises to God chains on hands and feet. You have no excuse!
PERSEVERE- While patience may be passive, to persevere means persist steadily in your belief and trust in God, usually over a long period and especially despite problems or difficulties till what you need is delivered.
PATIENCE- Hopeless situation is not the best of time to make rash decisions like committing suicide, filing for divorce or even running away from home. It is the best of time to wait! Hope is trusting God to act in his good timing!
Please remember, the most valid source of true hope is in having a relationship with God nurtured by a daily devotional study of His Word because He alone holds that colorful future you’re dreaming of. He says His plans are good and not evil, to give you a future and hope (or expected end). Jeremiah 29: 11
PRAY- In the midst of Hannah’s hopelessness, she prayed to God, knowing that if any hope was to be found, it would be found in him. What a privilege to carry everything to God in prayers!
PRAISE- Paul and Silas were on death row for preaching about Jesus, yet in this hopeless situation they sang praises to God chains on hands and feet. You have no excuse!
PERSEVERE- While patience may be passive, to persevere means persist steadily in your belief and trust in God, usually over a long period and especially despite problems or difficulties till what you need is delivered.
PATIENCE- Hopeless situation is not the best of time to make rash decisions like committing suicide, filing for divorce or even running away from home. It is the best of time to wait! Hope is trusting God to act in his good timing!
Please remember, the most valid source of true hope is in having a relationship with God nurtured by a daily devotional study of His Word because He alone holds that colorful future you’re dreaming of. He says His plans are good and not evil, to give you a future and hope (or expected end). Jeremiah 29: 11
For a prisoner on death row, a pardon offers hope of freedom. For the spiritual prisoner on death row because of the consequences of sin, God offers ultimate hope by forgiving our sins so that we can be with him in heaven forever. When life seems impossible, God brings eternal hope. Hope is essential to our perseverance, our getting through the tough times. Without hope we give up. Hope requires one thing, though-a trust in the one who brings real hope.
GOD CANNOT LIE!
Yours,
Hopeful Emmanuel Odedeyi.
Hopeful Emmanuel Odedeyi.
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