An immovable anchor in times of uncertainty
The current situation regarding the COVID-19 pandemic raises anxiety, stress and fear. The disease is affecting every aspect of society, and not just in one city, province, state, territory or county, but throughout the world.
There is so much uncertainty even with governments, healthcare organizations, businesses, educational institutions and citizens putting so many resources just in an attempt to contain the spread. We look for something to take hold of that can ground us and give us an assurance that things will get better. The imagery of a ship holding firm during a storm is an excellent picture – the anchor is the instrument that keeps the vessel from moving in the wrong direction and keeps it in place until the storm passes. The God of the Bible, the Creator, is “a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul” (Bible, Hebrews 6:19).
The context of the above chapter is that God is a just God who notices the work and love of people, especially believers who serve and take care of others. The writer encourages the reader to do the same and to share in the hope that God offers. He then briefly reminds them of the hope of the Gospel, which is contained in promises God made to a man called Abraham centuries earlier. These promises are yet to be fulfilled. The promises consists of God restoring the earth to a previous paradise condition, where Abraham, his descendants and those who become connected to Abraham though belief and baptism into Jesus Christ, will share eternity on this earth (Bible, Genesis 12:1-3; Romans 4:13; Galatians 3:1-8; 27-29).
The passage in Hebrews 6:17 tells us the God, the Creator does not change. He made promises in the Old Testament to faithful men and women. He will fulfill those promises, through His Son, Jesus Christ, when He sends him back to the earth to restore all things,
“But what God foretold by the mouth of all the prophets, that his Christ would suffer, he thus fulfilled. Repent therefore, and turn again, that your sins may be blotted out, that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and that he may send the Christ appointed for you, Jesus, whom heaven must receive until the time for restoring all the things about which God spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets long ago.” (Bible, Acts 3:18-21)
God is unchangeable. Throughout the Bible He has allowed His creation to do good and bad things and endure difficulties. These things, as stressful as they are, try our faith and hopefully strengthen it in God. God has offered the promise of eternal life to those who believe and are baptized into the saving name of His son Jesus Christ. Like a ship in the midst of a storm, God is the anchor that provides stability and hope as we wait for the day to arrive when the skies are bright, the seas are calm.
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Article by Dale. Photo by InspirationFeed on unsplash.com.
