Anchored

“Therefore, we who have fled to him for refuge can have great confidence as we hold to the hope that lies before us.
“This hope is a strong and trustworthy anchor for our souls. It leads us through the curtain into God’s inner sanctuary. Jesus has already gone in there for us. He has become our eternal High Priest…”
Hebrews 6:18a-19b NLT

A refuge is a place of respite and shelter from danger or pursuit.
The two-part verses you just read from Hebrews start us in the middle of a thought: “Therefore,” a good student of the Bible will ask the question, “what was said before this?” If you were to read the verses right before these ones you would see the writer is referring to the consistent and unchanging character of God. It is the truth that God never changes what he says or who he is that brings confidence to our lives. This confidence in God produces hope that God can and will provide all we need. Our hope is anchored in his steadfast character. Remember, an anchor is a heavy object hooked by a rope or chain to a boat to keep it moored to the bottom of a lake, sea, or ocean. The idea is that no matter what the wind and waves are doing the boat is able to stay secured in one spot. It will not drift with the currents or wind. For Christ-followers God is the unmovable source of truth that our souls are anchored to, and we can count on him staying the same. God’s promise to us is that if by some means we are cleansed from our sins we are free to enter into his presence. That is impossible for us, but because Jesus went to the cross and died on our behalf as the perfect sacrifice for sin, we are able to stand before God, justified. Having that freedom brings hope and security no matter what happens in this life. Even when events get crazy and out of control I know that because I have accepted his payment for my sins I am anchored in a place of safety.
How about you? To what or to whom is your anchor moored? Where are you finding your stability in these crazy times?

-Pastor Tim