Rejoice and give thanks to the Lord that you are alive today, and the Lord welcomes you into the new year to lead you, with your steadfast hope, like an anchor firmly placed in Him. Hope accomplishes for the soul the same thing that an anchor does for a ship. It makes it fast and secure on your journey of faith. An anchor preserves a ship when the waves beat and the wind blows, and the vessel is safe as long as the anchor holds. So, hope is often compared with an anchor in the soul of the Christian. The steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ brings our emotions, mind, and soul as our life grounded and secure irrespective of things happening to us and around us.
Will your anchor hold in the storms of life? In the upheavals and trials of life, we are calm if our hope in the Lord is firm. We all experience the inevitable ups and downs of life; when we are hurt, depressed, and lost, it all feels overwhelming, and we sink into the pit of darkness, and it may seem like there is no way out. The trials come to assess the steadfastness of our hope. As long as the anchor hold, we shall overcome. It is not your plans but you, your hope anchored in the Lord’s holding. The Lord expects us to be coordinated as Isaiah 30:18 assures us, “Therefore, the Lord waits to be gracious to you and exalts himself to show mercy to you. For the Lord is a God of justice; all those who wait for him are blessed.” The goodies, the blessings of the Lord, are available only to those who have hope and are waiting, flowing from a gracious power and habit that gave the soul to wait. Hope is the mother of steadfastness, patience, and waiting. When Paul writes to the church in 1Thessolonians 1:3, he reminds them and reminds us, “Remembering, before our God and Father, your work of faith and labour of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.” Paul combines the virtues of faith, love, and hope activated by work and labour upheld by steadfastness. Our faith and love, maintained with steadfastness, produces hope in our Lord Jesus Christ. The anchor will keep us sailing to the final point. Hope is a tenacious thing. It is hard to stop. It moves the Christian to run a little farther even when all energy has been spent. It can absorb immeasurable amounts of challenges, pain and suffering. If our soul is persistent, devoted, patient, determined with dedication and firm allegiance to the Lord Jesus – our Rock and Salvation. We shall have stability in the rough waters as Isaiah 40:31 says, “But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary; they will walk and not be faint.” The Scripture reveals six characteristics of the biblical meaning of hope that lead to a firm foundation of our faith to help us in the steadfastness of hope.
- Hope Is Expectant Through exploring life with God, we can realize his promise of abundant life and all the fruit that comes with it! This hope has a firm foundation; it is not casual or laced with wonder. Instead, it is the anticipation of what God has promised to do; He is faithful in honouring ALLHe says He will do. Isaiah 40:31 assures those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. So even Job, in his inconceivable situation, proclaims, though he slays me, I will hope in him. And David, in Psalm 71:14, says he will always have hope and praise the Lord more and more. Peter encourages us, “Therefore, with minds alert and fully sober, set your hope on the grace to be brought to you when Jesus Christ is revealed at his coming.” (1 Peter 1:13).
- Hope Demonstrates Trust in God Forever Scripture often warns us about putting our hope, or trust, in anything other than God. For example, in the Psalms, Jeremiah, Hosea, and Isaiah, we are reminded not to trust in riches, idols, foreign powers, the military, princes, or even other humans. Hope and firmly place our trust in God for His salvation, resurrection, and redemption of our bodies. “Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption to sonship, the redemption of our bodies” (Romans 8:23).
- Hope is Foundational to Faith “Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see” (Hebrews 11:1). Paul reminds us of the hall of faith – the heroes of heaven, including Abraham, who confidently put their total trust in God, that God fulfilled what He promised. God was instilling and proving hope to be foundational to our faith. Just as our ancestors walked by faith, we, by faith, are confident in the promises of God.
- Hope is Not a Fleeting Feeling When we accept the gift of God’s finished work to reconcile us, based on the hope of God’s higher ways and greater plan. So, if we ever feel scared or worried, this hope, as Paul says, “Knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; and perseverance, proven character; and proven character hope; and hope does not disappoint…” (Romans 5:3-5).
- Hope is not a Gamble The forgiveness and redemption we hope for have already been proven in the Scriptures. Because we know Jesus and God is faithful, we have hope. “Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful” (Hebrews 10:23).
- Hope is a Gift from God Our hope is a gift we cannot achieve on our own. Eternal life is a gift because God promises we will enter into “the inner place behind the curtain” (Hebrews 6:19), and it is indeed a sure and steadfast anchor for the soul. It was assured to Jeremiah, “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” (Jeremiah 29:11). Hope is the incredible Gift of God; it is as sure and foundational as He gave us life. Hope believes that even death cannot hold us from God’s great eternal plan and calls us through everything the world might hand us to dash our hopes. Is your anchor fastened to the Rock, keeping your soul steadfast and sure through the waves of this life? Are you grounded, firm and deep in the Saviour’s love? May the Lord of my Salvation keep me faithful to the end! AMEN
By: Rev. Canon Micah Amukobole