Devotion 1: Where Is Our Confidence?

“This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which enters the Presence behind the veil, where the forerunner has entered for us, even Jesus, having become High Priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.” Hebrews 6:19-20 (NKJV)

For most of us, an anchor is very little more than a choice some make in their bathroom decorating. But an anchor is much more than a wall decoration to stare at while… well, while using the restroom. Its importance cannot be overstated. In the midst of a storm, the anchor is the lifeline that keeps a boat in place. The anchor does just that; it anchors the boat in place. It digs into the rock below, to hold the vessel steady. It is the difference between drifting out to sea, being overturned in waves or crashing into rock.

Have you ever tried to set an anchor? What did you look for to anchor the boat in place?

In Hebrews 6:19, we are told that as Christians we have a strong anchor for our soul. It’s telling us that we have something that keeps us anchored both in this life and in the life that is to come. To anchor my soul in this life means that I am steadied in the intense storms of life. The storms of life are insane and to be tossed around is synonymous in Scripture with doubt and fear. So, the words here mean that because of this anchor, I can be steady and continual in my hope and confidence in Christ while things are seemingly out of control around me. This anchor also secures me into the promises of the life that is to come (i.e. heaven). The promise of being with Him forever cannot be shaken from me even by the fiercest storms this life can thrust upon me. In fact, even if this life is nothing but trouble, heaven is my true promised home and all of my confidence is anchored in this guarantee from my King.

When you hear the word “storm” what life event comes to mind? Was your anchor set?

The question is, what is this anchor? The answer is given in Hebrews 6:19-20 where we are told that our anchor “enters the Presence (of God) behind the veil, where the forerunner has entered before us, even Jesus.” The anchor, according to verses 13-18 is the certainty of two things. The first is that God has promised all those that trust in Jesus that our forever home is heaven with Him because of His work. The second is that God cannot lie or fail. These two promises create a certainty in our minds and hearts that anchor us in Him in the midst of life’s storms. As we suffer, we look forward to the day we are with Him. We are sure because He has promised and He cannot fail. This anchor is our hope, but it is anchored into the bedrock of Jesus’ work and so it holds always. If my hope (anchor) was in my work, it would never hold. But because His work is “sure and steadfast,” Hebrews says that He “is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him” (Hebrews 7:25).

Do you often anchor yourself in His promises? Take a moment to reflect on what this might practically look like for you.