A daily, Bible-based perspective of hope,
encouragement and exhortation.
Wednesday,
October 31, 2018
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 of trials.
Golden
Gate Bridge with fog
Click
on photo to enlarge
"An
Anchorage For The Soul"
Note:
This week we are gleaning lessons from
observations we made while walking across
the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco.
Message
summary: Rest
in this blessed assurance; God and His
Word provide the steady anchorage and
sure foundation for the soul. 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).
Listen
to our 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 6:19).
Stunning
views of the Golden Gate Bridge can be
seen throughout the San Francisco.
Today's photo shows the fog coming in
under the bridge from Fisherman's
Wharf. On Monday we shared a photo of the
bridge and city skyline from a scenic
overlook in Marin County on the other
side of the bridge from the city.
There are views where all you see is
the top of the towers.
Stunning
views of the Golden Gate Bridge can be
seen throughout the San Francisco.
Today's photo shows the fog coming in
under the bridge from Fisherman's
Wharf. On Monday we shared a photo of the
bridge and city skyline from a scenic
overlook in Marin County on the other
side of the bridge from the city.
There are views where all you see is
the top of the towers.But
a special sense of the immensity of
the bridge is attained when you walk
across, which we did the first full
day we were out there. It's about 3
miles to go from the parking lot on
the San Francisco side to the
anchorage for the cables at the far
end of the Bridge and then walk back.
But we did it, the longest single walk
we believe Ester ever did!
I
enjoy viewing the bridge from an
engineering perspective. I've wondered
what it would be like to pretend I was
an engineer with a role in designing a
massive project like this. In the
early thirties they didn't have
computers and CAD so they did a lot of
calculating and plotting on paper. I
would have preferred to work on the
design of the massive towers or
cables, two bridge elements that
immediately catch your attention.
Likely
though, for the typical pedestrian, a
lot less attention and appreciation is
given to the four huge concrete
blocks, two on each side of the
bridge. These are known as the cable
anchorages, which form a vitally
critical role in the structure and
much thanks should be given to the
engineers who designed and workers who
built these. There are 182,000 cubic
yards of concrete in these anchorages,
along with the pylons and cable
housing. The function is to anchor the
massive main cables that hold up the
bridge. You can see in the photo above
the main cable going into the
anchorage. The
cable anchorage serves a vital role in
securing this cable. If the cable
slipped out there would be
catastrophic consequences.
Today let us consider the anchorage for the soul based on one of my favorite Scripture passages. Of course the allusion here is to a ship's anchor, not the anchorage for a bridge cable, but the principle is the same.
How thankful we should be for the blessed anchorage of hope we have in Jesus! This anchorage is eternally 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 Greek word is Aγκυρα, pronounced "ankura" (our English 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". Although I have valued this verse for many years since I was a young Christian and in fact have often alluded to it in these daily encouragement messages today the words "greatly encouraged" especially jumped out.
This hope is what the believer has "fled to take hold of". The worldly sources of hope are temporal and short sighted. The hope Jesus offers is 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."
Today let us consider the anchorage for the soul based on one of my favorite Scripture passages. Of course the allusion here is to a ship's anchor, not the anchorage for a bridge cable, but the principle is the same.
How thankful we should be for the blessed anchorage of hope we have in Jesus! This anchorage is eternally 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 Greek word is Aγκυρα, pronounced "ankura" (our English 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". Although I have valued this verse for many years since I was a young Christian and in fact have often alluded to it in these daily encouragement messages today the words "greatly encouraged" especially jumped out.
This hope is what the believer has "fled to take hold of". The worldly sources of hope are temporal and short sighted. The hope Jesus offers is 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."
"Firm and secure"
are two qualities
to this anchorage
of hope that may seem similar in the
English, but indeed express two
complimentary truths. It's as if the
Holy Spirit wants to make it
absolutely clear to us just how
dependable this anchor is! The two
words, firm and secure, have a
different focus. The first is outward,
the second inward.*
Perhaps you're in a wind-tossed storm as you read this. Or there may be a storm on the horizon. Today we want to encourage you to ground your faith in the anchorage that is immovable that will weather the worst storms of life. Truly, this anchorage of hope we have in Jesus Christ is firm and secure!
Rest in this blessed assurance; God and His Word provide the steady anchorage and sure foundation for the soul. 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 souls 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 the huge cable
anchorages of the Golden Gate Bridge
have stood the test of time, may we
have an assurance of Your absolute
reliability, not for the years of time
alone, but for eternity. Amen.
* Linguistic Key to the Greek New Testament
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 using in part an anchor theme:
Perhaps you're in a wind-tossed storm as you read this. Or there may be a storm on the horizon. Today we want to encourage you to ground your faith in the anchorage that is immovable that will weather the worst storms of life. Truly, this anchorage of hope we have in Jesus Christ is firm and secure!
Rest in this blessed assurance; God and His Word provide the steady anchorage and sure foundation for the soul. 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 souls 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 the huge cable
anchorages of the Golden Gate Bridge
have stood the test of time, may we
have an assurance of Your absolute
reliability, not for the years of time
alone, but for eternity. Amen.* Linguistic Key to the Greek New Testament
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 using in part an anchor theme:
"Faith
is the Christian's foundation,
Hope is his anchor,
Death is his harbor,
Christ is his pilot,
And heaven is his country."
Hope is his anchor,
Death is his harbor,
Christ is his pilot,
And heaven is his country."
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 of trials.
Today's
Suggested
Music and Supplemental Resources
"Soul
Anchor" Video
Michael Card
"Never
Walk Alone" Video
Brian Free and Assurance
I
never thought about this until
preparing today's message: How
did Anchorage Alaska get its
name? That it served as a port
of anchor is the way in which
Anchorage, Alaska, got its name.
Anchorage owes its development
to its usefulness, not as a
fishing or mining center but as
a port of anchor for the
railroad-building activities of
the Alaska Engineering
Commission in 1914.
Finally
today: Here's a
heartwarming love story that
took place where we served a
church in the nineties in
Taunton, MA Video
We met a couple, Bob and Joan,
many years ago that share the
same experience and we shared
their story here.
Send a message to Stephen & Brooksyne
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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.
Personal Mission Statement: "I am created by God to bring Him glory. Through God's Son Jesus Christ I have been redeemed and make it my life's goal to please the Lord. My mission in life is to honor God through my faith and obedience and prepare myself and all whom I may influence for eternity."
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