Have you ever seen the anchor of a giant ship? Back when cruises were something people did, I remember seeing a cruise ship’s massive anchor and marveling at how heavy it must be. It turns out that a cruise ship anchor can weight about 28,000 pounds! 

Whether you’re enjoying calm waters or in the middle of a storm, you need a strong anchor for your soul that can hold tight. Are you, like me, sometimes tempted to trust in lightweight anchors like the approval of others, a fun event on the calendar, or the next purchase you want to make?  

These anchors won’t hold us through the tough times. True anchors are strong. Anchors are immovable. Anchors provide stability when life around us is turbulent. We have such an anchor described in Hebrews 6:   

“We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters into the inner place behind the curtain, where Jesus has gone as a forerunner on our behalf, having become a high priest forever after the order of Melchizedek.” (Hebrews 6:19-20) 

Our hope in Christ is a sure and steadfast anchor for our soul. The rest of this verse might sound like a bunch of confusing religious talk with big words and a long name. But the author of Hebrews is basically saying this: our hope rests on the work Jesus has done to reconcile us to God. 

Because of His sacrifice for us on the cross, we are brought into a relationship with God. We are declared righteous because Jesus was righteous in our place and took the penalty our sin deserved. 

What Christ has done for us can never been taken away. In Christ, we have every spiritual blessing now and forever. (Ephesians 1:3-14). This is our hope – the anchor our souls can hold on to in the most ferocious storm. 

Are your circumstances tossing you haphazardly? What can you cling to that will never fail or waver? I haven’t found anything in my life more steadfast than the promises of my Heavenly Father fulfilled in my Savior. Jesus is our sure and steadfast anchor, and He’s the only anchor we need. 

No matter what we face this week, we have a sure and steadfast anchor for our souls. 

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Someone asked me recently how my day had been, and I decided to answer honestly: exhausting. A busy day in the midst of a busy week in the midst of a busy month had worn me out, and summer break can’t get here soon enough. I suspect I’m not the only one feeling weary right now. 

Maybe you’re caring for young kids or an aging parent and feel like you never get time to recharge or take a break. 

Maybe you’re pouring yourself out all day into a demanding job, and then heading home to face another long list of responsibilities.   

Maybe your exhaustion stems from an ongoing struggle to parent a challenging child, cope with illness, or grieve a loss. 

On weary days, I love this promise from Isaiah 40:30-31: 

“Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted; but they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.” 

God gave Isaiah these words of encouragement for Israelites who would be carted off to exile in Babylon. They would need God’s sustaining strength to get them through decades of hardship. And God’s strength would be sufficient for them, just as it is for us today. 

When we wait on the Lord, He will renew our strength. We may not feel like we’re soaring like eagles, but we can trust that His power is carrying us through the challenges we face. 

The previous verse gives us the proof that God can keep His promise: 

“Have you not known? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable.” (Isaiah 40:28)

Our God is the everlasting God who created the universe. He never gets tired, and He never lacks understanding. His infinite power never runs out. And He promises His sufficient, satisfying strength to those who call out to Him. 

No matter what we face this week, we can trust the Lord to renew our strength.  

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I love sunsets. (I love sunrises, too, but I prefer to be asleep when they’re happening.) The glorious colors spread over the horizon, as if God took a handful of paintbrushes and danced across the sky. The brilliant sight reminds me of two things I know are true: there is a Creator who makes beauty and the Creator is glorious. 

While the beauty of nature points us to God’s glory, Psalm 102 teaches us that God’s glory is even greater than the fading glory of His creation: 

“Of old you laid the foundation of the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands. They will perish, but you will remain; they will all wear out like a garment. You will change them like a robe, and they will pass away, but you are the same, and your years have no end.” (Psalm 102:25-27)

The heavens are the work of His hands, and they are glorious. But one day, He will change them like He’s changing His clothes. The creation we see now will pass away, but the Lord will remain. 

So what does this mean for us on an ordinary Monday when we feel overwhelmed by the week ahead? 

Created things, such as sunsets, nature, people, and possessions, can be beautiful, glorious blessings in our lives. But these things don’t stay the same. They will not last forever, and they will eventually pass away. 

The Lord is the one Who will always remain. His power and glory will never fade. Those colorful sunsets can remind us of this truth: we are loved and redeemed by a glorious Creator who will never change and whose years have no end. 

The psalmist goes on to say:“The children of your servants shall dwell secure; their offspring shall be established before you.” (Psalm 102:28) 

The knowledge of God’s eternal nature isn’t abstract; it’s personal. Because of God’s unchanging glory, we know that He will keep all His covenant promises – to us and to future generations of those who trust in Him. 

No matter what you face this week, the glory and power of God will remain forever. 

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One day when my son was little, I tried to convince him to go backwards in age instead of growing up. In his most serious, let-me-explain-this-to-you voice, he said, “You can’t do that. You can only be each age one time, and then you die.” 

I remember being surprised that he would talk so matter-of-factly about death – even his own. But in the mind of a young child, death seemed far away. He still had decades of birthdays to check off before he got there. He hadn’t yet felt the sting of the death of someone close to him or the fear of a life-threatening diagnosis that could cut those years short. 

As we walk through life in a fallen world, we can’t escape the reality of death. Just this week, our church family has grieved sudden losses that impacted two of our extended families. Sin, sickness, and death can steal many things from us – relationships, livelihoods, plans, and dreams – and that’s been startlingly clear this past year. 

In our heartbreak, we crave a hope that can survive the pain of death. And we have such a hope in our risen Savior, Jesus Christ: 

“According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you.” (1 Peter 1:3b-4)

Death is rendered powerless by our living hope, because Jesus holds the keys of death and hell (Revelation 1:18). God, in His great mercy, has given us new life here and eternal life in heaven through the resurrection of Jesus.  Our living hope fills us with joy and peace, and it assures us of a heavenly inheritance that can never be taken away. 

In a world filled with decay, deterioration, and disappointment, we can look forward to an inheritance kept in heaven for us that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading. Even when we can’t escape the pain of grief, our hope isn’t dead. We have a living hope, because our hope is found in the resurrected Lord Jesus Christ. 

No matter what you face this week, cling to the living hope you have in Jesus Christ. 

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