One summer in my early twenties and in between jobs, I worked as a sailing instructor at a center that gave inner-city children from London an opportunity to experience fresh air and the sea in a way they could never do on their own.
One weekend, however, adults came to the center to learn how to sail.
As we stood on the shore and looked out to sea that Saturday morning, I wanted to run back to bed and hide under the covers.
Dark clouds filled the sky and rain threatened but, worst of all, the wind roared pulling back my hair with force. Added to that, I had been assigned two men much larger and weighing far more than myself to my small sailing dinghy. The wind would be a challenge, but having two men who knew nothing about how to move their weight around to keep a small boat from flipping and ending up beneath the waves, would be an even greater test of my skills.
On top of this, yes, there was more, I would have to navigate our trip with finesse. The tide was out, the water low, and numerous yachts dotted the narrow channel. The owners of these boats saw sense and were going nowhere on such a stormy day. They sat peacefully in the anger of the storm, secured by their anchors. Oh, how I wished I sat on one of those yachts knowing I could wait out the storm with nothing to fear.
However, we were going sailing! I stepped into the boat trusting my skills, hoping for the best, and wishing the sailing center’s director would see sense.
Hope can seem like wishful thinking, especially when things are outside our control.
The Bible however assures us that hope is real. It is well-defined. It is something we can grasp onto and know the outcome is guaranteed.
The Bible says that hope is an anchor for the soul.
We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure.
Hebrews 6:19
This is the hope I found when I delved a little deeper into those words.
Hope is an unseen reality
Hope in God through Jesus is a reassurance deep within our beings that tells us “God has got this,” whatever our circumstances. Hope tells us “that God has got me.” We can cry out to God at any time and in any place and know that God promises to rescue us.
Hope in God is unseen like an anchor, but it keeps us tethered during the storms of life. What happens on the surface may look wild and out of control, but deep down we can have confidence.
God is as solid and as unmovable as the anchor on the seabed.
This kind of hope deep in our souls comes only from knowing God through Jesus. But, this kind of hope is available to everyone.
In those days you were living apart from Christ…You lived in this world without God and without hope.
Ephesians 2:12
Pause for a moment as you read this and think about the difference that hope in God through Jesus has made in your life.
And if you don’t know the hope of God, these words from Ephesians 1:18 CEV are my prayer for you:
My prayer is that light will flood your hearts and you will understand the hope given to you when God chose you.
Hope is something that God puts within us
Hope is more than something we conjure up from within ourselves. The God of Hope fills us with his hope.
Hope originates with God.
Our hope is secure in the words and actions of God. We have his many promises that are true and can be relied upon. We have his actions throughout history, recorded in the Bible. More specifically, we have Jesus. The reality of his life has been documented. It is up to us to believe the truths of the witnesses who tell us that Jesus is God in the flesh, who died for us so that we have the hope of eternal life.
Faith in Jesus gives us confidence in the present and an expectation of a future.
Faith in Jesus means we are filled with the Holy Spirit, the very presence of the God of Hope within us.
God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit.
Romans 15:13 NLT
Through faith, you are surrounded by hope. It penetrates your mind, heart, and soul.
Hope is not wishful thinking, but the living God who is around you and within you. You can trust him with your life and this hope will not lead to disappointment (Romans 5:5 NLT).
Use the prayer to praise the God of Hope for being your anchor.
Pray
This is so beautiful, so fitting for these times when we feel afraid as we look around and see a world in chaos. God’s promises—His presence—is our sure anchor of HOPE!
Maureen, thanks for your comment. It is also comforting to know that what looks like chaos to us is firmly in God’s hands.
Thank you, Rachel, for such a lovely devotion.
Jacqueline, you’re very welcome. I’m glad it spoke to you.