Xanthe Hancox

We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain, where our forerunner, Jesus, has entered on our behalf. He has become a high priest for ever, in the order of Melchizedek.Hebrews 6:19-20

What’s the point of an anchor? It keeps your boat from being blown by the wind or swept by the tide out to sea or on the rocks. But what if someone said: I have fitted your boat with a good heavy anchor that will grip any sea-bottom, but I haven’t tied it to the boat. Would that give you encouragement?

I don’t think that is the image the author has in mind here. When he says in verse 19 that we have an “anchor of the soul” I think he means that the anchor is firmly anchored in heaven, and the anchor is firmly attached to our souls.

Hebrews 6 tells us about two people who assure us that hope in God is an anchor for the soul. The first is Abraham. God promised Abraham land and descendants. Even though those promises were threatened many times during Abraham’s life, Abraham hoped in the anchor of God’s promises, and those promises eventually were fulfilled. The second person is Jesus, “our forerunner.” Jesus ran ahead of us. He ran the race of human life. He ran through death, and he returned victorious to life, rising from the dead. Following in his footsteps gives us an ­anchor for our souls. Because he lived, died, and rose, we have hope that God will also give us new life after death.

When the waters of life get rough, or when we can’t see the shore, let our hope in Jesus be the anchor for our souls.

Prayer: Lord God, we often feel like a boat that is far from shore. At those times, and at every time, give us the sure anchor of hope in you. Amen