Anchor of Hope

I recently read the story of a young man who left Europe for America. He spoke several languages and possessed business skills. Desiring a new adventure he set out to bring his dream to fruition. Right from the beginning he found work. In just a short time he ventured out to start his own business and gained immediate success. He was happy with his work, and that happiness grew even more when he met a woman who captured his heart.

They married and worked the business together. He couldn’t imagine being any happier, but one day, with no warning, that happiness was shattered. Going for her physical, his wife was diagnosed with cancer. It was stage 4 and aggressive. She died before the year was over.

Her husband was inconsolable. He tried to continue work but all interest had gone. The business came to ruin. He filed for bankruptcy. Having no zeal for anything he lost his home. He ignored offers of help from his friends, cutting off all contact with them. One day the local news reported that early in the morning a man’s body was pulled from a river. This man had filled his pockets with stones and jumped from the bridge. He had found no reason to keep living. He had lost all hope.

What a sad, but not unfamiliar story. Suicide takes place in every country and from every element of society. Suicide has claimed the lives of poor people, rich people, lonely people, and popular people. Why? Like a boat without an anchor, they are tossed wildly in life’s storms with nothing solid to hold them in place, to give them hope.

Life is filled with disappointments and sorrow. No one is immune. We need an anchor. Something to give us hope of surviving, of living again in joy and peace, of pressing forward with meaning in our lives. I love that verse in Hebrews 6:18-19. These words are amazing! “So God has given both His promise and His oath. These two things are unchangeable because it is impossible for God to lie. Therefore, we who have fled to Him for refuge can have great confidence as we hold to the hope that lies before us; This hope is a strong and trustworthy anchor for our souls. It leads us through the curtain into God’s inner sanctuary.”

Accepting Jesus into our lives doesn’t make us immune to problems and grief, but it gives us an unfailing anchor that provides a knowing hope. When we are anchored to Jesus, we know He stays with us in the pain, bringing us through to peace. He comforts us and strengthens us. He guides us onto fresh paths. He renews our hope because — He is our anchor in every storm.