THE ANCHOR HOLDS (revised)

POWER THOUGHT:



THE ANCHOR HOLDS!



Scripture:  Hebrews 6:17-19



I remember quite a few years ago my son and I went out in our boat for an afternoon of skiing and later on decided to stop for a while, so we threw out the anchor to keep the boat from drifting.  A little later, we decided to go home and darted off when we felt a jolt and a pop!  We had forgotten about the anchor!



Hebrews 6:17-19 says: “So when God desired to show more convincingly to the heirs of the promise the unchangeable character of his purpose, he guaranteed it with an oath, so that by two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled for refuge might have strong encouragement to hold fast to the hope set before us, we have this as a sure and steadfast ANCHOR of the soul.”



The above Scripture says that God actually made an oath stating that it is impossible for Him to tell a lie and that He is so committed to what He has promised that we can anchor our souls to His Word!  It is important to note that we, as believers, are heirs of this promise!



It sounds like this was something very important to God that He wanted us to pay close attention to, especially considering He made an oath!



2 Corinthians: 1:20 “For all the promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us.”



Isn’t that powerful?  His promises are not “Yes” and “No,” but “Yes” and “Amen!”  When we believe and speak His promises, they aren’t “yes” today and “no” tomorrow! 



Our Scripture says, God doesn’t change His mind.  In fact it says, we can have strong encouragement or as one translation says, “great encouragement” that His Word is given for your provision.



His Word is an anchor! 



Just like we forgot about our boat anchor, often we can find ourselves in situations and forget we have an anchor in God that remains steadfast and will not pull away from us.  



I like to think of God’s promises as gifts from Him that we open to receive the benefits.  If someone brought me a gift box and I just left it on a table without opening it to see the contents, I would have missed out on something special that was given to me from someone else’s heart, especially since they took the time to source it out, pay for it or make it for me to enjoy.



Often without realizing it, we do the same thing by not being conscious that the promises in the Bible are “gifts” because they are given to us to utilize.



2 Peter 1:4 “HE HAS GIVEN US EXCEEDINGLY PRECIOUS AND MAGNIFICENT PROMISES.…”



That sounds pretty significant!  Remember again, Peter went from being a rough and tough guy to a strong believer who came to realize that his source was not in himself, but God through his faith in Jesus.  The words, exceedingly, magnificent and precious so emphasize the intensity Peter, by the Holy Spirit, was placing on the promises!



For sure, one of the challenges each of us face each day is to not allow the concerns of the world to so dominate our thoughts that we neglect to focus on eternal things as well!



Again, the Apostle Peter, found himself in dire straits quite a few times but presents to us a message of hope in 2 Peter 1:4:  “His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness through the knowledge of Him that has called us….”



Knowledge of God’s word and applying it to our lives is how we receive what He has on His heart for us.



Just like we nourish ourselves with healthy foods each day to keep our bodies strong, we should also nourish ourselves with His Word, which is also referred to as bread, so that we will become strong in spirit and our faith will be increased to be confident that He desires us to receive the blessings He has prepared for us.



Each one of us may be in a situation where we have a significant need we are believing God to meet.  Perhaps it is a physical need that is being worked through.  According to 1 Peter 2:24, we have a powerful promise from Him that says: “By His stripes you were healed.”



Jesus paid the price for our healing with His own body by going to the cross and being beaten and shedding His blood.  As we stand in faith for our healing, we can also ask the Holy Spirit to give us wisdom if there is anything we can do naturally.  



Philippians 4:19 is such a powerful precious promise because it is pertinent for any need that arises:  The Apostle Paul said:  “And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from his glorious riches, which have been given TO US in Christ Jesus.”



It would be good to stop and reflect on what the Apostle Paul said:  “HE WILL SUPPLY ALL OUR NEEDS! This comes through being anchored in His promises knowing the answers are on their way, not only for us but those we pray for!  



Hebrews 6:12 says: “It is through faith and patience that we inherit the promises.”



The faith part is often easier for us than the patience part!  Nevertheless, we can have confidence if we have faith, that He is working on the needs being met.









Hebrews 11:6 says:



 “Those that come to God must believe that He is and that He rewards those who diligently seek Him.”



God’s promises to us are as our Scripture says, unchangeable and, if there is an area where we may have “sped away” or “drifted away” from the power of God’s promises and confidence in his love for us,

He has promised He will never leave us nor forsake us.  We just get back into faith in His promises!



John 6:21 says:



 “When Jesus got into the boat with them they were “suddenly” on the other side!” 



With all of this in mind, knowing that we have an anchor for the soul that is unchanging, let’s also pray that as we call on Jesus, the needs we are presenting through our prayers will be met SUDDENLY in Jesus Name!