“We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain, where our forerunner, Jesus, has entered on our behalf. He has become a high priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek” (Hebrews 6:19-20).
An anchor is only as effective as the thing it grips. Hope is an anchor for a believer, and the writer of Hebrews describes what secures it. When Jesus died He entered the presence of God and now serves as our High Priest. He is in heaven interceding for us and representing our interests. His work now is acting on our behalf. Our hope is anchored to Him and that is why it is both firm and secure.
In our world it is tempting to anchor our hope to our finances. The ups and downs of the stock market make those who do that nervous. Individuals have anchored their hope to their jobs, only to lose their employment to downsizing. There is nothing firm and secure about anchors that are fixed to changeable things. Our hope is anchored to Jesus and is secured in the very presence of God.
That hope will keep us from drifting. It is firm and it is secure because it is attached to Jesus. Our hope is not wishful thinking. It is as dependable as Jesus is. In both the Old Testament and the New Testament hope means the expectation of good and it can be trusted.
A song I heard often as a child still inspires me. “I know who holds tomorrow and I know who holds my hand.”
