Anchored in Hope
HELLO FRIENDS
“We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain…” Hebrews 6:19
After years of resisting the idea, making excuses about why we could not do it, and postponing the inevitable, last October we got a dog. And luckily, but some unintentional wisdom, we chose a dog who came half-trained – though we were clueless what to do next.
So I picked up a training leash. It’s a simple elastic leash that stretches as she gets further. The goal of the training: to have her walk side by side with me. The goal of the leash: to help warn her through increasing tension when she’s wandered too far from my side.
We, like Lucy, are called to walk side by side with Christ. That’s the goal. The reality: We tend to either trail behind in delayed obedience or run ahead because of unredeemed ego. But we are all in process. And we have the hope of Christ’s redemption that, as the author of Hebrews puts it, becomes an anchor that is tethered to our soul. It pulls us close when we run ahead or wander behind Him.
This hope gives us a vision of who God’s molding us to become. And that vision creates moments of tension in our soul when we’ve strayed. Tensions like when love is replaced by ego and we find ourselves elevating ourselves above other people, or groups of people. Tensions when honor is replaced with entitlement and we start demanding our place in society at the expense of others. Tensions when faith is replaced by a need for control and we start planning more than praying. Tensions when the pursuit of contentment is replaced with the excess of external pleasure.
These tensions are a gift from God, who is revealing to us parts of our heart which must be set at His feet and not picked up again. But in order to recognize the tension, we must remain still and silent enough for the noise of our world and the noise in our soul to settle. Often we stay busy and keep our environment full of noise because we are afraid of what is exposed when we are quiet and still. Noise and movement create a tarp over our soul – hiding the reality of what is underneath. What comes to the surface is condemning – and it stays condemning only until we remember the hope found in the grace and mercy of God which covers our sins.
This passage reminds us that our hope is Christ also leads us “behind the curtain” – into the very presence of God where we lay down our lives in worship to Him exchange it for the life He promises us. And He is faithful to receive what we give Him in worship. He is faithful to exchange our life for His. But we must still ourselves long enough to recognize what belongs to Him – to listen to the gift of the tension that resides in our soul and submit it to Him in exchange for the gift of His presence.
Where are you feeling tension in your soul? What could God be telling you through this? Find 20 minutes this weekend to be still and silent before Him – allowing Him to exchange your sin for His grace. He is faithful to care for you. We have this hope.
Oh, and has the leash worked for our dog yet? That’s another story – one that would have a different ending if “Lucy’s masters” were more disciplined in their follow through. We’re all in process.
Pastor Cris Buck