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Good morning my ‘Walking with Jesus’ friends,
As I’m writing this morning, there are some storms brewing in the Atlantic which may develop into hurricanes. There are riots continuing in some American cities which too often have exploded into fire storms burning businesses and homes. There are wildfires raging in California, scorching thousands of acres and forcing evacuation of thousands of people to save their lives. Those storms are reflections of the deeper life storms millions of people around the world are struggling to survive.
Sometimes life storms are abrupt and unexpected, like a horrific accident or a house fire or terminal diagnosis when you feel absolutely fine, or worse… instant death when someone was in apparently good health. Sometimes you can see the storms coming far in the distance and you have lots of time to prepare, like retirement, or the ’empty nest’ or business bankruptcy or this Coronavirus.
Over this past year or two does it feel as though you and your part of the world have been living in a furious storm of immense proportions? While we didn’t fully understand what COVID-19 meant 9 months ago, as we tracked its movement across the face of our planet, from country to country, it was like watching a gigantic storm which was simply unstoppable. It has touched almost every aspect of normal human life, in every place in its path hasn’t it? Just ponder for a moment how many different aspects of your life have experienced change, perhaps dramatic change, as a direct result of the COVID-19 storm in your part of the world... and this global storm is apparently not going to end anytime soon!
So today, I’m seeking a fresh word from GOD for us, in this huge storm, something we can hold on to for HOPE. I’m returning to Hebrews 6:19 “We have this HOPE as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure.” Who is the “WE” in this statement my friends? May I offer a fresh perspective? The “WE” is people like you and me, who have EXPERIENCED God’s life saving power in our past, and now we call out to all humanity, any living human being, anywhere in the world, with our assurance that HOPE can be found in a reliable God, who we are confident is more than capable to handle the storms in our lives!
We offer HOPE for people who know nothing of God, who have no interest in God, but find themselves desperate in this storm… God is ready to respond to your desperate cry to Him for help, even if you don’t know much about Him.
We also offer HOPE to very religious people who bow to lifeless statues or hold to age old empty creeds and rituals but, with no response.
To these billions of people, we point to our HOPE giving God who says: (Is. 45:18-22) “There is no God apart from ME, a righteous God and a Savior. Turn to ME and be saved, all you ends of the earth, for I am God and there is no other.”
And we also offer HOPE to fellow Christians who have drifted away from their passion for Jesus, drawn away by the things of this world, or found themselves drawn into doubt or confusion about God’s truth, and now are frightened, confused, desperate in this storm. God says “Return to Me for I have redeemed you, I have swept away your offenses.” (Is. 44:22) “I the LORD do not change…Return to ME and I will return to you, says the LORD Almighty.” (Mal. 3:6,7) “Come to ME, all who are burdened and I will give you rest,” Jesus said in Matthew 11:28.
So what my friends have you found to be your reliable “Anchor for the soul, firm and secure” which we find in Hebrews 6:19? Would you agree our anchor is THE Almighty, Living, God Himself who is firm and steadfast, because He is Eternal, He is Creator, He is Holy, He is Omniscient, knowing everything about us past, present and future. He is Omnipresent, with us where-ever we are in the universe. He is Omnipotent and Sovereign, unlimited in His power and His authority, thus He is able to do anything which we may need, no matter the storm we are in!
But my friends, have you noticed a great ANCHOR needs a strong CHAIN to hold the boat secure in the storm. If the chain breaks… the boat drifts aimlessly, even though the anchor is strong!
We’ve all heard the adage, ‘any chain is only as strong as its weakest link”. We understand every link in any chain should be identical to all the other links in that chain, but sometimes links weaken and it will always be the weakest link which will break first under strain. So, what are some of the links in your life which connect you to The Anchor, Almighty God, which will hold you firm and steadfast in the midst of great storms your life? May I offer you a few and ask you to add more?
Chain Link #1 God’s Truth is unchanging Truth, and it is revealed to us in His Word, the Scriptures. Much of the raging storms around us are met by political rhetoric or empty promises or emotional rants or fearful outrage.
But many of us have found the Holy Bible to be a powerful chain, linking us to God! His Word is inspired God truth which comes alive in our lives through the power of the Holy Spirit who helps us to understand it in application to our specific life situations. That’s the truth of Hebrews 4:12, but of course this link is only strong is you have allowed the Power of God’s Word to penetrate your life and become your guiding force! Is your appetite for God’s Powerful truth almost unquenchable? How strong is the chain link of God’s Word in your life? Honestly now, is it dangerously weak?
Chain Link #2 The POWER of the Armor of God in the storms in your life. The spiritual battles of your life.
Remember this armor is described for us in Ephesians 6:10-18. Which piece of the armor is most important to you and why? What battles have been won, what storms have been deflected by your dependence on your spiritual armor? How often have you found your own defenses insufficient to the forces opposing you? Have you faltered in the battle because you were unarmed, or it had been a long time since you spent much time with your armor? Soldiers keep their weapons clean and their weapon using skills refined, and their weapons close by…what about you and the Armor God has made available to you?
Chain Link #3 The Power of the Holy Spirit! Remember Jesus had told His friends as He was preparing to leave them…“The power of the Holy Spirit will come upon you and you will be My witnesses…” (Acts 1:8)
When we read the next several chapters in Acts we see how ordinary fishermen are empowered, emboldened and they stand strong in the face of opposition, persecution and even beating and imprisonment. As the Holy Spirit empowered them amazing things happened and thousands of people trusted in Jesus Christ and entire cities are changed! So, what is the reality of the power of the Holy Spirit in your life my friends? Is this one of the great chain links which link you to God as your Anchor of Hope?
So now why don’t you look closely at your life and add your other links to the list. How about significant experiences in your past which demonstrate to you and others, the power of God? Are they logged in your spiritual journal so you remember them? Or strong Christian friends who faithfully stand with you in the storms? Or the power of your vibrant prayer life, is that a strong link for you? Go ahead friends, add more links. . .what are yours?
And finally, look closely at the links in your spiritual chain, looking for the ones that are weaker. And what will you do to strengthen them, so they will hold you strongly connected to your Anchor in the storms, which certainly will keep raging all around you? And what if you don’t. . . What if you continue living with weak links in your chain? When the storms you are in now really turn ferocious what will you do then?
Bible images provided with attribution to www.LumoProject.com.
Click to read today’s chapter: Hebrews 6:19; Isaiah 45:18-22. (At the top you can choose a different translation.)
Have a comment or question about today’s chapter? I’m ready to hear from you, contact me here.
Pastor Doug Anderson 262.441.8785
“Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, with our eyes fixed on Jesus…” (Heb. 12:1,2)
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