Anchor Your Soul in Hope

Week 1: Our Anchor of Hope

Hymn Lyric: Chorus From the Beloved Hymn “I’ve Anchored in Jesus”
“I’ve anchored in Jesus, the storms of life I’ll brave,
I’ve anchored in Jesus, I fear no wind or wave;
I’ve anchored in Jesus, for He hath pow’r to save,
I’ve anchored to the Rock of Ages.”

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

Who Is In Control?

Biblically, the sea always represents chaos, uncertainty, and turbulence. That’s actually a pretty good description of our society right now. We are in an age when just about every day holds new headlines that cause stress and division. But, no matter how frustrating, disheartening, or upsetting this world can get, we must never forget what Jesus said in Mark 4:39: “Peace be still.” He said it, and with just those three little words, the wind and the waves obeyed. Peace and calm were restored, and Jesus rebuked His disciples for not having faith. See, even when the wind and waves of our societal seas rage, nothing happens to His servants without His say-so. God is in control.

The Anchor of Hope

In Hebrews 6:19, the sea is the world, and the waves and storms are the troubles we face in this life.  As Christians, we are the ship, and Jesus is our pilot, or captain. Our anchor is our hope, and the cable that connects the anchor to us is faith. 

An anchor is a piece of heavy metal that weighs about 13 pounds. When dropped overboard, it’s meant to keep a ship from drifting in a strong current. The flukes, or the spiky parts, dig into the ground, and the weight of the chain holds the ship firmly in place. Now, the idea of hope as an anchor isn’t a new one. Socrates once said, “To ground hope on a false supposition is like trusting to a weak anchor.” Unlike the people of the world who fix their hope on the weaker elements (like money, status, or luck), believers have our hope on the strongest thing around: the blood and righteousness of Jesus Christ as our salvation. He is our Rock of Ages.

Where Do We Lay That Anchor?

But ships don’t put their anchors down right where they are. They try to secure them near a port or reef. So where does our anchor go to hold us steady when storms would try to carry us away? According to Hebrews 6:19, it goes “behind the veil.” Now, in Old Testament days, regular people couldn’t access God directly. Instead, priests had to intercede on their behalf by making sacrifices in the Temple’s Holy Place. Only once per year could the high priest go behind the heavy ornate curtain called the veil. It was there in the innermost chamber, the Holy of Holies, that the presence of God could be found.

After Jesus’ death and resurrection, the temple’s veil was torn in two from top to bottom. This symbolizes that we no longer require someone else to intercede on our behalf.  Instead, our bodies are the temple of God where the Holy Spirit resides. We are now priests of God ourselves and have access to speak to Him directly. Hebrews 4:16 says, “Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” Our hope is, in fact, anchored in the very presence of God Himself. Jesus is our Rock, our shade, our place of refuge, and our foundation for now and all time. 

How Should We Live In Light of This?

Our hope is not in this world. By our faith, we are connected and held fast to the very throne room of God. While the world may shift under our feet and storms rage around us, we will not be moved. Our prayers can be heard and answered by our God who is always in control.

Note: The following section is from the paperback version. The E-book version makes suggestions for sketches in the Sunday evening “challenge” section and has no lines for Bible journaling or coloring pages. The rest of the text is the same.

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

Think About It: How is hope like an anchor? What does it mean when it says “sure and steadfast”? What is the significance of the cable that connects it to our ship? What would happen if the cable breaks? Where does the anchor lay? Why is that important?

Challenge: Put on some soft worship music and color this week’s illustration. Notice the decorations on the ship and the activity around it. How might this represent your unique Christian voyage?

Prayer Starters: Talk to God about what Hebrews 6:19 means and share your answers to the questions. Ask Him to strengthen your cable. Thank Him for allowing you to connect to Him.

A Few More Page Previews

If you can’t afford to buy this book in either print or ebook form but would use it for your good and God’s glory, please send an email to nolongerlukewarm@mail.com. I will send you a free PDF version.

Want to hear the hymn? Here’s the sassy southern version from my channel’s playlist: “I’ve Anchored in Jesus.” Please sign up to receive my blog in your email in-box. You can find that at the upper right of your screen (or at the bottom on a phone). Check out what people who have read the book say about it here: Anchor Your Soul in Hope.