Home About Us Archives Free email subscription
Listen to these
messages
See
here for more info.
<Previous
Message
Next
Message
Listen to
us share this message on your
audio player
"We who have fled to take hold of the hope offered to us may be greatly encouraged. We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure" (Hebrews 6:18b, 19a).
I just received a note from a longtime friend I haven't heard from for awhile giving me a brief update concerning his life. He's had some trials lately but shared this interesting perspective of faith: "Today I received an email from one of my friends whose wife just ran off with another man and left him with 5 kids. He says, “GOD IS MY ANCHOR.” What troubles do I have when compared with that?"
I took this photo at Plymouth Harbor several years ago. Though the anchor serves a ship much like the parking brake serves a car, it also holds a lot more meaning for the believer.
Contemplate this thought-provoking quote, "In order to realize the worth of the anchor, one needs to feel the stress of the storm." Faith is put to the test and best demonstrated during the deepest trials of life.
How
thankful we should be for the blessed anchor of hope we have in
Jesus! This anchor is "firm
and secure." The daily verse is the only place
in the Bible where the word "anchor"
is used figuratively. (It is used literally in Acts 27 during
Paul's shipwreck.) The
CCLI song database lists 79 songs that refer to the
spiritual anchor and this list doesn't even include many of the old
hymns.
The Greek word for anchor is Aγκυρα (ankura) Our English word anchor is merely a transliteration of this word! The anchor was used in the Greek world as a picture for hope.
Believers
all throughout the ages have received assurance in their hearts as they
consider the security an anchor provides in the midst of battering
storms. I am so gripped by the early part of the daily verse,
"We who have fled to
take hold of the hope offered to us may be greatly encouraged."
This hope is what the believer has "fled
to take hold of." We flee from all the worldly
sources of temporal hope to the only true and lasting source of hope.
Once we firmly take hold of this hope we are indeed "greatly encouraged."
Hope, as used in the Bible, is not a wishful thought but a confident expectation of absolute certainty. The Holman Bible Dictionary offers this insight: "Hope is the confidence that what God has done for us in the past guarantees our participation in what God will do in the future."
There are two qualities to this anchor of hope that may seem similar in the English, but indeed express two complimentary truths. It's a firm and secure hope. It's as if the Holy Spirit wants to make it absolutely clear to us, beyond the shadow of a doubt, just how dependable this anchor is!
Today
we want to encourage you to take hold of the anchor that is immovable.
It will weather the worst storm. Truly, this anchor of hope we have in
Jesus Christ is firm and secure! Rest in this blessed assurance
today. Perhaps you're in that wind-tossed storm right
now. Or there may be a storm on the horizon. God and His Word
provide the steady anchor and sure foundation. Today let us
focus on the immutable God, whose Word has promised: "You will keep in perfect peace
him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you. Trust in the
LORD forever, for the LORD, the LORD, is the Rock eternal" (Isaiah
26:3,4).
Be encouraged today,
Stephen & Brooksyne Weber
Daily prayer: Father, help us not to resent the storms of life or be fearful of their effects. Much like we prepare for a ravaging storm by anchoring valuables to a firm foundation, help us to anchor our hearts in the firm foundation of Your Word that will help us to withstand the testings and trials of life that are certain to come our way. Even as a ship is proven to be seaworthy over its lifetime, may our faith be proven trustworthy as we hold onto You, the Anchor for our soul. Amen.
Here's a quote written about 350 years ago by Jeremy Taylor. It fully embraces the timetable of the Gospel journey and is a great focus for the believer: "Faith is the Christian's foundation, hope is his anchor, death is his harbor, Christ is his pilot, and heaven is his country."
Today's Suggested Music and Supplemental Resources
Click on the link to open and play.
(In some cases you may also need to click again to start the song.)
"We Have An Anchor" Video I am so very blessed by this grand old hymn and this is an especially beautiful version musically and includes photos. (I only regret this version only has one verse). Sung by Robin Mark.
Here's the entire hymn
Verse 1
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?
Chorus
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.
Verse 2
It is safely moored, 'twill the storm withstand,
For 'tis well secured by the Savior's hand;
And the cables, passed from His heart to mine,
Can defy that blast, thro' strength divine.
Verse 3
It will firmly hold in the straits of fear,
When the breakers have told the reef is near;
Tho' the tempest rave and the wild winds blow,
Not an angry wave shall our bark o'erflow.
Verse 4
When our eyes behold thro' the gath'ring night
The city of gold, our harbor bright,
We shall anchor fast by the heav'nly shore,
With the storms all past forevermore.
Send
a message to Stephen &
Brooksyne.
Tuesday,
July 7, 2009
We have an
anchor that keeps the soul
Steadfast and sure while the billows roll
Fastened to the Rock that cannot move
Grounded firm and deep in the Savior's love!
Steadfast and sure while the billows roll
Fastened to the Rock that cannot move
Grounded firm and deep in the Savior's love!
Listen to
us share this message on your
audio player"God Is My Anchor"
"We who have fled to take hold of the hope offered to us may be greatly encouraged. We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure" (Hebrews 6:18b, 19a).
I just received a note from a longtime friend I haven't heard from for awhile giving me a brief update concerning his life. He's had some trials lately but shared this interesting perspective of faith: "Today I received an email from one of my friends whose wife just ran off with another man and left him with 5 kids. He says, “GOD IS MY ANCHOR.” What troubles do I have when compared with that?"
I took this photo at Plymouth Harbor several years ago. Though the anchor serves a ship much like the parking brake serves a car, it also holds a lot more meaning for the believer.
Contemplate this thought-provoking quote, "In order to realize the worth of the anchor, one needs to feel the stress of the storm." Faith is put to the test and best demonstrated during the deepest trials of life.
How
thankful we should be for the blessed anchor of hope we have in
Jesus! This anchor is "firm
and secure." The daily verse is the only place
in the Bible where the word "anchor"
is used figuratively. (It is used literally in Acts 27 during
Paul's shipwreck.) The
CCLI song database lists 79 songs that refer to the
spiritual anchor and this list doesn't even include many of the old
hymns. The Greek word for anchor is Aγκυρα (ankura) Our English word anchor is merely a transliteration of this word! The anchor was used in the Greek world as a picture for hope.
Believers
all throughout the ages have received assurance in their hearts as they
consider the security an anchor provides in the midst of battering
storms. I am so gripped by the early part of the daily verse,
"We who have fled to
take hold of the hope offered to us may be greatly encouraged."
This hope is what the believer has "fled
to take hold of." We flee from all the worldly
sources of temporal hope to the only true and lasting source of hope.
Once we firmly take hold of this hope we are indeed "greatly encouraged."
Hope, as used in the Bible, is not a wishful thought but a confident expectation of absolute certainty. The Holman Bible Dictionary offers this insight: "Hope is the confidence that what God has done for us in the past guarantees our participation in what God will do in the future."
There are two qualities to this anchor of hope that may seem similar in the English, but indeed express two complimentary truths. It's a firm and secure hope. It's as if the Holy Spirit wants to make it absolutely clear to us, beyond the shadow of a doubt, just how dependable this anchor is!
Today
we want to encourage you to take hold of the anchor that is immovable.
It will weather the worst storm. Truly, this anchor of hope we have in
Jesus Christ is firm and secure! Rest in this blessed assurance
today. Perhaps you're in that wind-tossed storm right
now. Or there may be a storm on the horizon. God and His Word
provide the steady anchor and sure foundation. Today let us
focus on the immutable God, whose Word has promised: "You will keep in perfect peace
him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you. Trust in the
LORD forever, for the LORD, the LORD, is the Rock eternal" (Isaiah
26:3,4).Be encouraged today,
Stephen & Brooksyne Weber
Daily prayer: Father, help us not to resent the storms of life or be fearful of their effects. Much like we prepare for a ravaging storm by anchoring valuables to a firm foundation, help us to anchor our hearts in the firm foundation of Your Word that will help us to withstand the testings and trials of life that are certain to come our way. Even as a ship is proven to be seaworthy over its lifetime, may our faith be proven trustworthy as we hold onto You, the Anchor for our soul. Amen.
Here's a quote written about 350 years ago by Jeremy Taylor. It fully embraces the timetable of the Gospel journey and is a great focus for the believer: "Faith is the Christian's foundation, hope is his anchor, death is his harbor, Christ is his pilot, and heaven is his country."
Today's Suggested Music and Supplemental Resources
Click on the link to open and play.
(In some cases you may also need to click again to start the song.)
"We Have An Anchor" Video I am so very blessed by this grand old hymn and this is an especially beautiful version musically and includes photos. (I only regret this version only has one verse). Sung by Robin Mark.
Here's the entire hymn
Verse 1
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?
Chorus
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.
Verse 2
It is safely moored, 'twill the storm withstand,
For 'tis well secured by the Savior's hand;
And the cables, passed from His heart to mine,
Can defy that blast, thro' strength divine.
Verse 3
It will firmly hold in the straits of fear,
When the breakers have told the reef is near;
Tho' the tempest rave and the wild winds blow,
Not an angry wave shall our bark o'erflow.
Verse 4
When our eyes behold thro' the gath'ring night
The city of gold, our harbor bright,
We shall anchor fast by the heav'nly shore,
With the storms all past forevermore.
Permissions:
Please feel free to pass on, reproduce and distribute any material on
Daily Encouragement Net, in part or in whole, in any format, provided
that you do not alter the wording in any way or charge a fee beyond the
cost of reproduction. It is our desire to spread this material, not
protect or restrict it. I do request that you keep the contact,
copyright and subscription information intact.
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.
Personal
Mission Statement:
"I am created by God to bring Him glory. Through God's Son Jesus Christ
I have been redeemed and I make it my life's goal to please the Lord.
My mission in life is to honor God through my faith and obedience and
to prepare myself and all whom I may influence for eternity."
Daily
Encouragement Net is an affiliate of Christianbook.com
©
Copyright 2009
Stephen C. Weber - All Rights Reserved
Daily Encouragement Net - 495 Kraybill Church Road - Mount Joy, PA 17552 USA
Daily Encouragement Net - 495 Kraybill Church Road - Mount Joy, PA 17552 USA
"Living securely today anchored in God's solid foundation"