Holding Onto Hope
Week 1: Holding Onto Hope
All of us, sooner or later, find ourselves walking through dark and difficult seasons. You might even be in one right now. Maybe you've felt the weight of grief, received news that knocked the wind out of you, watched a son or daughter drift far from the faith and want nothing to do with God or the church, or endured betrayal from someone you deeply trusted. Whatever the specifics, darkness tends to show up in familiar ways. It leaves us shaken and disoriented, unsure of which direction to turn. Fear settles in as we wonder what’s waiting beyond the next wave… will there be shelter, or another blow? We feel lonely, abandoned, and left to navigate the storm on our own…
So this Christmas season, we look back to live ahead. We look back to the people of God waiting in silence and seemingly stuck. We also look back to the promises that God had made and that God had kept. Promises for those stuck in the prison, wandering in the wilderness, or enduring an exile. Promises that mean even more for us today. The hope we have in Christ, a peace that is incomprehensible, a joy that is superior to our circumstances, a love that we can’t outrun, and a Gospel that stands as a light in the darkness. This week, we look to the hope we have. A hope which proves to be an anchor for our soul in the midst of the storms of this life:
Hebrews 6:13-20 “When God made his promise to Abraham, since there was no one greater for him to swear by, he swore by himself, 14 saying, “I will surely bless you and give you many descendants.” u 15 And so after waiting patiently, Abraham received what was promised. 16 People swear by someone greater than themselves, and the oath confirms what is said and puts an end to all argument. 17 Because God wanted to make the unchanging nature of his purpose very clear to the heirs of what was promised, he confirmed it with an oath. 18 God did this so that, by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled to take hold of the hope set before us may be greatly encouraged. 19 We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain, 20 where our forerunner, Jesus, has entered on our behalf. He has become a high priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek.”
Hebrews 10:23 “Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful.”
There is no one higher, there is no one greater, there is no one like our God. There is only one who is worthy of more honor, who is far more precious, holds greater beauty, extravagance, and splendor than all of the other values of the world combined, a billion times over. So, what greater things are there to swear by or make a promise on? Absolutely nothing and nobody, which is why we see God swear by himself, reaching as high as possible, making a promise that only he can keep! But why, why does God need to reach so high in making a promise that only he can make and only he can keep? It’s to bring us hope, hope in an unshakeable, immoveable, unchanging God. An anchor for our souls, a refuge, a place to turn amid the faulty and fleeting hopes of this world.
The reason most people never move away from the grand ole State of Michigan is for the same reasons: Michigan summers. There is nothing quite like it. For me, it’s because of going “up-north” and settling into a cottage, beach, campground, or roadside park with spectacular views of the Great Lakes. Growing up on Lake Huron, piling onto the boat with the six in our family and the dog, voyaging for weeks at a time across the open water north to the quaint, quiet, and beautiful coastal towns. Even now we spend time along Lake Huron with the family. There is a nostalgia associated with it along with the rest and quality family times these trips currently provide. Every harbor and most public beaches along the way have one of those massive old rusty anchors with the chain that is welded to form a monument. I have memories of the marina we harbored our boat at in my childhood, climbing the anchor and the sensation of grabbing it with my hand or scraping my shins alongside it. Maybe your only memories or experiences with anchors is a nautical themed bathroom decorated with anchors and lighthouses or a night out at Red Lobster, but for me, the anchor is a landmark that triggers meaningful emotion and memory in my life.
An anchor is an object with great power and significant value. An anchor can steady a ship in the eye of a storm, holding it firmly rooted to its position no matter what waves or tempest may come. Though for me the anchor brings about a certain sentiment, it is also seen as a symbol of hope, especially in the ancient world. “The Stoic philosopher Epictetus says: ‘A ship should never depend on one anchor, or a life on one hope.’ Pythagoras the mathematician said: ‘Wealth is a weak anchor; fame is still weaker. What then are the anchors which are strong? Wisdom, great-heartedness, courage—these are the anchors which no storm can shake.’ The writer to the Hebrews insists that Christians possess the greatest hope in the world.” That’s right, we have the greatest hope of all, the hope that the promises of God have been kept, the hope we have in Jesus! The world will prove empty in a search for hope. There is no wealth, fame, wisdom, courage, or great-heartedness that will be a strong enough anchor for our soul when the storms of life crash against the boat. Only Jesus, only the promises of God, that he has made upon himself and he has kept in Christ. So, a you may feel empty and left without hope, or as you live among a world searching for hope this season… Give them a reason, and be reminded of the anchor we can firmly take hold of.
1 Peter 3:15 “But in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect”.
All of us, sooner or later, find ourselves walking through dark and difficult seasons. You might even be in one right now. Maybe you've felt the weight of grief, received news that knocked the wind out of you, watched a son or daughter drift far from the faith and want nothing to do with God or the church, or endured betrayal from someone you deeply trusted. Whatever the specifics, darkness tends to show up in familiar ways. It leaves us shaken and disoriented, unsure of which direction to turn. Fear settles in as we wonder what’s waiting beyond the next wave… will there be shelter, or another blow? We feel lonely, abandoned, and left to navigate the storm on our own…
So this Christmas season, we look back to live ahead. We look back to the people of God waiting in silence and seemingly stuck. We also look back to the promises that God had made and that God had kept. Promises for those stuck in the prison, wandering in the wilderness, or enduring an exile. Promises that mean even more for us today. The hope we have in Christ, a peace that is incomprehensible, a joy that is superior to our circumstances, a love that we can’t outrun, and a Gospel that stands as a light in the darkness. This week, we look to the hope we have. A hope which proves to be an anchor for our soul in the midst of the storms of this life:
Hebrews 6:13-20 “When God made his promise to Abraham, since there was no one greater for him to swear by, he swore by himself, 14 saying, “I will surely bless you and give you many descendants.” u 15 And so after waiting patiently, Abraham received what was promised. 16 People swear by someone greater than themselves, and the oath confirms what is said and puts an end to all argument. 17 Because God wanted to make the unchanging nature of his purpose very clear to the heirs of what was promised, he confirmed it with an oath. 18 God did this so that, by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled to take hold of the hope set before us may be greatly encouraged. 19 We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain, 20 where our forerunner, Jesus, has entered on our behalf. He has become a high priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek.”
Hebrews 10:23 “Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful.”
There is no one higher, there is no one greater, there is no one like our God. There is only one who is worthy of more honor, who is far more precious, holds greater beauty, extravagance, and splendor than all of the other values of the world combined, a billion times over. So, what greater things are there to swear by or make a promise on? Absolutely nothing and nobody, which is why we see God swear by himself, reaching as high as possible, making a promise that only he can keep! But why, why does God need to reach so high in making a promise that only he can make and only he can keep? It’s to bring us hope, hope in an unshakeable, immoveable, unchanging God. An anchor for our souls, a refuge, a place to turn amid the faulty and fleeting hopes of this world.
The reason most people never move away from the grand ole State of Michigan is for the same reasons: Michigan summers. There is nothing quite like it. For me, it’s because of going “up-north” and settling into a cottage, beach, campground, or roadside park with spectacular views of the Great Lakes. Growing up on Lake Huron, piling onto the boat with the six in our family and the dog, voyaging for weeks at a time across the open water north to the quaint, quiet, and beautiful coastal towns. Even now we spend time along Lake Huron with the family. There is a nostalgia associated with it along with the rest and quality family times these trips currently provide. Every harbor and most public beaches along the way have one of those massive old rusty anchors with the chain that is welded to form a monument. I have memories of the marina we harbored our boat at in my childhood, climbing the anchor and the sensation of grabbing it with my hand or scraping my shins alongside it. Maybe your only memories or experiences with anchors is a nautical themed bathroom decorated with anchors and lighthouses or a night out at Red Lobster, but for me, the anchor is a landmark that triggers meaningful emotion and memory in my life.
An anchor is an object with great power and significant value. An anchor can steady a ship in the eye of a storm, holding it firmly rooted to its position no matter what waves or tempest may come. Though for me the anchor brings about a certain sentiment, it is also seen as a symbol of hope, especially in the ancient world. “The Stoic philosopher Epictetus says: ‘A ship should never depend on one anchor, or a life on one hope.’ Pythagoras the mathematician said: ‘Wealth is a weak anchor; fame is still weaker. What then are the anchors which are strong? Wisdom, great-heartedness, courage—these are the anchors which no storm can shake.’ The writer to the Hebrews insists that Christians possess the greatest hope in the world.” That’s right, we have the greatest hope of all, the hope that the promises of God have been kept, the hope we have in Jesus! The world will prove empty in a search for hope. There is no wealth, fame, wisdom, courage, or great-heartedness that will be a strong enough anchor for our soul when the storms of life crash against the boat. Only Jesus, only the promises of God, that he has made upon himself and he has kept in Christ. So, a you may feel empty and left without hope, or as you live among a world searching for hope this season… Give them a reason, and be reminded of the anchor we can firmly take hold of.
1 Peter 3:15 “But in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect”.
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