Hope, the Anchor for Your Soul

I was engaged in conversation with two people when the subject of “Hope” came up. As opinions began flying all over the place, turning the conversation into more of a debate, I became quiet and just listened for a while to what the others were saying. Both had such differing views on what they thought hope was. Finally there was a lull so I took it as my cue to re-join the chat by saying, “We put more hope in a pilot to take us safely to our destination, a complete stranger who we haven’t seen, another human being who we have absolutely no relationship with, than we do God. We have no problem trusting that pilot, but we are always unsure when it comes to God.” 

Proverbs 11:7 (NIV) tells us that “Hopes placed in mortals die with them; all the promise of their power comes to nothing.”

Hope in anything or anyone other than God is fragile at best. It does not stand and it will not endure. Actually the Bible warns that that kind of hope is misplaced, perishable, unsure, can frustrate, cannot deliver, can’t save, will be cut off, can be easily shaken, lost, will fade away, crumbles, and is unstable. 

This earthly hope is uncertain and without assurance, it’s having iffy optimism. But genuine hope, the hope that Psalm 43:5 tells you to put in God, is a strong confident expectation, a steadfast trust, a certainty and the assurance of fulfillment. Genuine hope comes from God alone – He is the source of authentic hope, hope that we can depend on. Only God can give you such hope; an immovable, unshakable hope. The hope that causes you to know that God can and will indeed work all things together for your greatest good. 

Listen, hope is not about what you’ll receive, it’s about what you believe. A belief that is borne out of strength and confidence that comes only from the Spirit of God. This is the hope that motivates you to press on with a joy-filled heart in times of suffering. The hope that forces you to have an eager expectation that God will do what He has promised though you haven’t yet seen even a shred of evidence. The hope that prevents you from being double-minded. The hope that is impenetrable to Satan’s deception and lies. 

It’s that hope that is found in the midst of trials, an unwavering sense of security in accepting the truth that God is in complete control of any and every situation – good and bad. It’s that hope that says that God will never leave you nor forsake you. It’s that hope that assures you that no matter what, God is good, always present, and His love never changes. It’s that hope that is built on the immutability of God’s Word – an unbreakable spiritual lifeline – the anchor for your soul.

Amen† 

Hope, the Anchor for Your Soul    Shelley Johnson 24-Aug-2016