By: Pastor Ally Richie
“We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain.” Hebrews 6:19
Hope—a word our culture has grown very familiar with.
"I hope I get the green light."
"I hope the weather is nice this weekend for our beach trip."
"I hope we can make it out of this hard financial season."
However familiar we are with this word, our world has normalized and sometimes even diminished its true meaning. So what is true hope? Since it's not the same as the world offers—wishful thinking, crossing of fingers, or blind optimism, what makes this hope different? This hope runs deeper, anchored in the promises of God and tethered to the person of Jesus Christ.
The world’s hope usually hinges on circumstances. It’s connected to what we can see, touch, and control. It comes and goes depending on the tides of life and our high and low experiences which leave us adrift when the storms come. But the hope we have as believers is not temporary or immovable. It doesn’t waver at the first sight of a crisis because its confidence is in God’s promises.
At this point, you are probably agreeing with everything I have shared, maybe even giving it an "Amen!". For me, this has been a truth I’ve held onto in my life, especially in times of hardship and trials. I’ve even learned to have this kind of hope when things are going well. But the area I found myself not fully grasping, until recently, was that this Hope is more than just about what Jesus can do for me, the miracles He can perform, or even the blessings He can give. The hope this verse is referring to “as an anchor for our souls” is Jesus Himself.
Our hope is in who Jesus is—the Alpha and Omega, the Author and Finisher of our faith. Not in His ability to help us in different situations or even in the promises He’s made us. But fully in Jesus as our hope personified; who is the embodiment of love, grace, and redemption.
In my realization that my Hope has a name, that He is immovable, unchanging, and a firm foundation, has completely changed the way I use the word hope. In the past, when I would say my hope is in Christ, it was based on knowing what He would or could do for me. However, now I see that the hope we’ve been given is Jesus himself. I now long for Him more than the miracle or the blessing He can give me. If He is my one true Hope, then He is enough, no matter what is surrounding me. Jesus is my Anchor; He is my hope that whispers in the darkest of nights, “I am with you always.”
So as we journey through life's ups and downs, I pray our lives reflect the Hope that lives within us—a hope that shines brightly in the darkness, a hope that points others to the One who truly is our hope…. Jesus!