Hope the Anchor for our Soul!

Hope the Anchor for our Soul!

The football world cup seems to have captivated millions of spectators and fans apart from the players and officials.  As the matches progressed – teams with messiah like stars, hoping to become champions were eliminated disappointing everyone.  Sports, elections, stock markets do not give any assurance to those who put their hope on them.  The hopes of millions of people on these false messiah’s are lost.

 

In 1934, when twenty-eight-year-old John Stam, mission worker to China, was being led away to execution by the communist bandits with his wife Betty, someone on the road asked, "Where are you going?" John Stam laid hold on the hope set before him and said, "We are going to heaven." John Stam and Betty were soon martyred leaving their infant daughter an orphan. Their hope of eternal life spread far and wide as many more workers went to China and laid down their lives. (http://carlstam.org/familyheritage/images/AllianceWeekly.03.02.35.pdf)

When God made his promise to Abraham, he swore by himself and ensured that he kept His promise even though it took longer than his expectations. (Hebrews 6:13-20). Abraham received what he was promised.  The writer of Hebrews goes on to explain that God cannot lie and if He has promised – he will deliver.  Abraham and all those who put their hope in the promises of God have never been disappointed. The ‘hope of Israel’ was the promise of a messiah. Israel waited for centuries until Simeon took the infant Jesus in his arms and said “My eyes have seen your salvation”. (Luke 2: 29-32) They all received what they were promised. Therefore we are called to set our hope in a God who has sworn by himself.

It’s like a sailor who throws the anchor into the sea knowing very well that it will hold the ship in its place without allowing it to drift anymore.  The scripture encourages us to cast our hope like an anchor on Christ Jesus who has gone before us to heaven.  This hope we have is an anchor for our soul, a hope both sure and stead fast. (Heb 6:19-20).  Joshua in his farewell speech said “We know with all our heart and soul that not one of all the good promises the LORD your God gave us has failed.” (Joshua 23:14-15) We are called to live out this ‘hope’ among a hopeless generation and receive His promises as a testimony to the world.  John Amalraj