Names and Titles of our Lord sponsored by the Anglican Orthodox Communion Worldwide by Bishop Jerry Ogles
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Jesus, Our Anchor of Hope
17 Wherein God, willing more abundantly to shew unto the heirs of promise the immutability of his counsel, confirmed it by an oath: 18 That by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us: 19 Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast, and which entereth into that within the veil; 20 Whither the forerunner is for us entered, even Jesus, made an high priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec.
When a young military officer returning stateside from an assignment in Asia, I discovered that much had changed in the churches that I had known when I departed a few years earlier. Practically gone was the King James Bible which had stood the test of time and whose testimony had brought many to Christ at home as well as in far-flung mission fields.
Replacing that old standard were new, watered-down versions that lacked the power of God’s truth. The form of worship itself had been transformed from one of reverence and respect for the Presence of God into a night-club atmosphere in which the hero of the stage was man and not God.
The music had become worldly, and the preaching luke warm whose promises were centered on material gain and not spiritual understanding
I was seeking a church with a solid foundation – I friend counseled me to drive a stake in the ground and hold tight once I found such a church. Well, I did find such a church shortly after our conversation and have been holding on for 43 years.
The Anchor of our souls will not hold unless cast into the Rock of the Deep, not the sand of the shallow shoals.
How is Christ likened to our Anchor? What is the purpose of an Anchor?
Psalm 18:2
The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer,
My God, my rock, in whom I take refuge;
My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.
An nnchor is constructed of strong metal and is of sufficient weight to be able to hold sure in the elements into which it is disposed. It is designed with double hooks for the purpose of securing a foothold on some substantial base.
It has a durable line to connect it to the ship at whatever depth a firm hold can be had.
When we cast our anchor into the deep of God’s Word, it will be held secure by the Rock of our Salvation, the Lord Jesus Christ. The ship of our soul will be held in place and kept from aimlessly drifting regardless the storms without.
The Anchor, when cast into the deep – will attach to a great and immovable rock that will not give way securing our vessel in a safe place. It is that anchor that links us to God – the great Rock of the Deep. The shallow floods will not suffice, we must sink our anchors into the Deep of God’s word – into that Rock of Ages that cannot be moved.
But the Anchor will avail nothing unless it is attached by a line to the ship. That line is the faith of the believer that keeps him in communion with His Lord.
When the storms arise, it is at that time that the Anchor holds most tightly. The great ship is turned, bow into the wind, with its Anchor secured to the great Rock of the Deep.
Even the believer may have doubts that arise in time of stormy seas. The ship may toss and begin to list leeward, but the great Anchor holds and we are saved.
Do you have this Anchor of Hope to secure your soul? Do you have the line of faith that connects you to that Anchor? If not, search the Deep of God’s Word and secure your soul with the line of faith to the anchor of hope for your soul.
Until next time, God bless and keep you in the palm of His loving Hand.
