✝ Daily Encouragement (9/7/23) "An Anchor Of Hope"

Published: Thu, 09/07/23

A daily, Bible-based perspective of hope, encouragement and exhortation. The online Bible teaching ministry of Stephen & Brooksyne Weber.

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Thursday, September 7, 2023

Christ the sure and steady anchor through the floods of unbelief
Hopeless, somehow, o my soul now lift your eyes to Calvary
This my ballast of assurance see His love forever proved
I will hold fast to the anchor it shall never be removed

Click on photo to enlarge

"An Anchor Of Hope"

Message summary: All who trust in Christ have an anchor of hope, a living hope. As we live out our lives we have many of the same problems as others. But our perspective differs based on an empty tomb and the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. Our hope is alive and our eternal future awaits us, no matter the present circumstances.

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"We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure" (Hebrews 6:19). "Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In His great mercy He has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead" (1 Peter 1:3).

While visiting upstate New York last weekend we saw the huge anchor featured in our lead photo along the Saint Lawrence River in Clayton, NY. As best as we could determine based on the descriptive placard in front of the anchor it was recovered from a shipwreck. It's sure a stunning sight when walking along the harbor.

The sight of an anchor always brings to mind our first daily text which we both memorized many years ago, "We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure" (Hebrews 6:19).

This is the only verse in the Bible where "anchor" is used figuratively. (It is used literally in Acts during Paul's shipwreck experience. Anchor is a direct transliteration of the Greek work "ἄγκυραν". Anchor is used as a theme in many Christian songs. A hymn some of our readers will recognize is an old gospel song called "Will Your Anchor Hold" written in 1882 by Priscilla Jane Owens in the United States. The words will grip your heart:

Will your anchor hold in the storms of life,
When the clouds unfold their wings of strife?
When the strong tides lift and the cables strain,
Will your anchor drift, or firm remain?

Refrain:
We have an anchor that keeps the soul
Steadfast and sure while the billows roll,
Fastened to the Rock which cannot move,
Grounded firm and deep in the Savior's love.

A more recent hymn that has touched our hearts is "Christ The Sure And Steady Anchor" written by Matt Papa (His last name is what I called my grandpa!)

Today we all need a firm grasp on the anchor of hope in Christ, a living hope. Bible teacher F.B. Meyer calls this hope "the link between our present and future". This hope is "an anchor for the soul, firm and secure" (6:19). Some of you are facing very difficult circumstances in your life today. Hopelessness and despair can so easily take a grip if we forget to anchor our hope in Christ.

Our "living hope" is a result of God's great mercy and the new birth He has given us, which is grounded in the glorious resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. The apostle Peter wrote the words in our second daily text to encourage believers undergoing various trials and persecution. Some thirty years after Christ's resurrection the church entered a time of horrific persecution during Nero's reign. It was shortly after this that Peter was likely martyred for his faith. Tradition asserts he was crucified upside down.

What a tremendous encouragement this reminder of their present standing with God must have been to Peter and these early believers and we hope to so many others besieged by evil! Peter's initial readers, like us, had come to faith on the basis of the testimony of Peter and other eyewitnesses to the resurrection. They and everyone since are among those spoken of by Jesus when He said to Thomas. "Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed" (John 20:29).

All of us who trust in Christ have this living hope. As we live out our lives we have many of the same problems as others, but our perspective differs based on an empty tomb and the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. Our hope is alive and our eternal future awaits us, no matter the present circumstances. Billy Graham characteristically states it so simply, "As a Christian I have hope not just for this life but for Heaven and the life to come."

We encourage you this day to keep the presence of our living hope ever before you! We promise you, in doing so you will be encouraged!

Christ the sure and steady anchor in the fury of the storm
When the winds of doubt blow through me and my sails have all been torn
In the suffering, in the sorrow when my sinking hopes are few
I will hold fast to the anchor, it shall never be removed

Be encouraged today, (Hebrews 3:13 )

Stephen & Brooksyne Weber

Daily prayer: Father, help me not to waste my time or energy in futile or wishful thinking. Instead I want to fix my thoughts upon the living hope found in Jesus Christ my Lord. I anchor my soul in the bedrock of Your Holy Word so that when other views counter the truths presented in Your Word my anchor remains firm. When difficulties appear insurmountable, remind me that I serve an extraordinary God who does not rely on man-made solutions but works in the supernatural realm to meet my needs. Your solutions to my problems are not subject to my scrutiny but rather I conform to Your leading and accept Your plan for my life. In doing so I am not tossed to and fro by winds and waves, but I am firmly grounded in the living hope of our resurrected Lord and Savior. It is in His name that we anchor our hope and faith. Amen.

Today's Suggested Music and Supplemental Resources

"We Have an Anchor" Watch video on YouTube The Hymns Project

"Christ The Sure And Steady Anchor" Watch video on YouTube Matt Papa, Matt Boswell, Keith & Kristyn Getty

Update: Last week we shared about our friend Nick, who fell while dismounting his bike while on a bike ride with Stephen and broke his hip requiring surgery. He is now in a rehab and doing well. Brooksyne and Ester visited him yesterday and he was demonstrating the victory!

Today we share more photos from our trip last weekend to upstate New York and share our final set tomorrow. Yesterday we used a nautical theme (the islands), and today the anchor. Tomorrow we will share another nautical theme based upon what we saw, lighthouses.

Dusk on Sackets Harbor

Homes are all along the Saint Lawrence River, both on the islands and along the mainland.

We spotted this classy antique car while walking along Riverside Drive in Clayton, NY.

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Scripture references are from The Holy Bible: New International Version. © 1984 by International Bible Society; NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®, Copyright © 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, New King James Version (NKJV) Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. and the King James Version.

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