“…God, desiring, even more, to show to the heirs of the promise the unchangeableness of His purpose, interposed with an oath, so that by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have taken refuge would have strong encouragement to take hold of the hope set before us. This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, a hope both sure and steadfast and one which enters within the veil…”
Hebrews 6:17-19
A common phenomenon occurs in our culture at the beginning of every new year. Goals are set with great hope and determination to achieve.
Listening to a recent podcast, the speaker quoted stats from a recent article by Forbes Health, which stated less than 2% of resolutions would have any semblance of real change by the following year. Most gave up within less than forty-five days. The article went on to say the greatest deterrent to fulfilling any goal is a refusal to yield to any system, form, or pattern of accountability.
We love this idea of change, but do we love it when it comes to the process required to achieve the change? The children of Israel, in bondage in Egypt, cried continually to God to be delivered. Yet the wilderness experience found them looking to go back. The followers of Jesus loved what He promised and enjoyed what he provided, but when it came to the place of sanctification and surrender, the majority walked away, cp. John 6:67.
Hebrews 6:19 reminds us that our hope is sure and steadfast like an anchor for our soul. The metaphor used of an anchor stands for what holds our soul steady in our tides and storms. It is firm, weighty, and steadfast. It does not move. So, for a hope that has the stability to anchor our soul, it must be found in, and on, the one who is faithful to perform what He has promised. He alone is the stability of our times. He is the rock our hope anchors onto. Hebrews chapter six declares two immutable truths: God promises, and God does not lie. We take refuge in this. This is our anchor. This is our hope, like the anchor, sure and steadfast. When the anchor hasn’t dropped, we drift, hopeless.
Proverbs 13:12 tells us hope deferred makes the heart sick. How many times have my ambitions been unfulfilled, leaving me in a weak and vulnerable place? Unbelief assails my mind, and without an anchored soul, I am pulled away, listening to a lie that asks, Has God really said? When we spend and are spent engaging in our own pursuits, we build on sandy foundations subject to the winds of adversity that ultimately destroy the work.
Jesus declared I will build my church and the gates of hell will not prevail. Our work will always be met with opposition because Kingdom work always suffers violence, but the violent are continually pressing their way into the Kingdom.
We all have things we want to achieve in life, but as we grow up into Him, we find our desires becoming more entwined with His purposes, so these goals, plans, and pursuits we hold should align more perfectly with His. Our efforts and energy should be seen as Jesus declared, I must be about my Father’s business.