How to Anchor Yourself in HOPE...

"We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure." Hebrews 6:19a NIV

1. Wait on the Lord to work. A ship will drift if it's not anchored properly, and a drifting ship can get into some unrecoverable trouble, especially in a storm. It's in the waiting hope is formed and faith is activated. "Yet I am confident I will see the Lord’s goodness while I am here in the land of the living. Wait patiently for the Lord. Be brave and courageous. Yes, wait patiently for the Lord." (Psalm 27:13-14 NLT)

2. Hold onto God's Promises. "And so after waiting patiently, Abraham received what was promised." (Hebrews 6:15 NIV) Waiting patiently is not easy but holding onto God's promises does make it bearable. Just ask Abraham and Sarah. Abraham was a hundred years old and Sarah was 90 (and way past childbearing years) when the Lord blessed them with the promised son, Isaac. Make a list of God's promises. Hold onto them while you wait. Hoping through the impossible with a possible, promise-keeping God will keep your soul anchored, firm and secure.

3. Rely on what Jesus thinks not what others think. In order to have hope in any situation, rely on the thoughts of the Lord. "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts." (Isaiah 55:8-9 ESV) We, humans, can only see so much and mainly just what is in front of us. Our omniscient God is capable of knowing beyond what we can see. Have hope in Him to have your best interest. Don't rely on what others think. Rely on Jesus. He's your anchor.

4. Trust God with ALL of your heart. If hope is an anchor, then trust is the rope tying to the anchor and to the boat. You can't have part of a rope tied up to the anchor or boat. It won't work to secure the boat to the anchor. Likewise, you can't have part of your heart trusting God. It won't secure hope. You need ALL of your heart trusting Him. "Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding." (Proverbs 3:5 NLT)

5. Focus on your future not your present circumstances. The whole essence of hope is looking forward to something you do not yet have in your current situation. Focus on your future. Focus on the "not yet, but will." Focus on the blessing that's coming just beyond. "We were given this hope when we were saved. (If we already have something, we don’t need to hope for it. But if we look forward to something we don’t yet have, we must wait patiently and confidently.)" (Romans 8:23-24 NLT) God is good. God is faithful. God will come through for us in His timing and in His will. We can trust Him. In Him, we can anchor our hope.

"And we are instructed to turn from godless living and sinful pleasures. We should live in this evil world with wisdom, righteousness, and devotion to God, while we look forward with hope to that wonderful day when the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, will be revealed. He gave his life to free us from every kind of sin, to cleanse us, and to make us his very own people, totally committed to doing good deeds."

~Titus 2:12-14~