Verse of the Day 11/1
Hebrews 6:18-19 so that by two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled for refuge might have strong encouragement to hold fast to the hope set before us. 19 We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters into the inner place behind the curtain, English Standard Version (ESV)
The old hymn, "Count Your Blessings" speaks of "being tempest tossed", being discouraged thinking "all is lost" and counting your blessings as a remedy. That act of counting your blessings is based on what God has done for you in the past which gives you confidence for the present and hope for the future. This hope is not something wispy or vague it is an anchor for our souls. As The Message (below) states that we who have run to God "have every reason to grab the promised hope with both hands and never let go."
G. K. Chesterton writes that that "Hope is the power of being cheerful in circumstances which we know to be desperate. It is true that there is a state of hope which belongs to bright prospects and the morning; but that is not the virtue of hope. The virtue of hope exists only in earthquake and eclipse... For practical purposes it is at the hopeless moment that we require the hopeful man, and the virtue either does not exist at all, or begins to exist at that moment. Exactly at the instant when hope ceases to be reasonable it begins to be useful."
Being "tempest tossed" is the picture of a turbulent sea or worse. Have you ever been behind a truck carrying water or some solution in a clear container. Even was the truck sits at a stop light the liquid inside continues to church, to splash from all sides. If you were in that you would have no idea where the next wave would come from, you would be tossed in whatever direction it came from or is heading. But we have an anchor and our anchored in Christ, steadfast and sure with access to God the Father through His Son Jesus Christ who lives to intercede for us.
I read another verse from Proverbs this morning that provides a picture of this:
Proverbs 18:10The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous man runs into it and is safe. English Standard Version (ESV)
There is power in the name of the Lord, our strong tower and the anchor of our souls. The world may not see this as being reasonable, or tangible, but as Chesterton writes, "exactly at the instant when hope ceases to be reasonable it begins to be useful." Does hope seam to be unreasonable in your situation? Perhaps it is right now that it will be most useful for you.
We'll end with a look at a few verses fitting for today - 11/1, we'll turn to Hebrews 11:1 where we read of things being hoped for as being divinely guaranteed:
Hebrews 11:1-2Amplified Bible (AMP) Now faith is the assurance (title deed, confirmation) of things hoped for (divinely guaranteed), and the evidence of things not seen [the conviction of their reality—faith comprehends as fact what cannot be experienced by the physical senses]. 2 For by this [kind of] faith the [a]men of old gained [divine] approval.
-- In Christ, Mike Folllow the Verse of the Day blog at http://mikesvotd.blogspot.com Ephesians 1:7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace. NIV
Hebrews 6:18-20The Message (MSG)
God Gave His Word
13-18 When God made his promise to Abraham, he backed it to the hilt, putting his own reputation on the line. He said, "I promise that I'll bless you with everything I have—bless and bless and bless!" Abraham stuck it out and got everything that had been promised to him. When people make promises, they guarantee them by appeal to some authority above them so that if there is any question that they'll make good on the promise, the authority will back them up. When God wanted to guarantee his promises, he gave his word, a rock-solid guarantee—God can't break his word. And because his word cannot change, the promise is likewise unchangeable.
18-20 We who have run for our very lives to God have every reason to grab the promised hope with both hands and never let go. It's an unbreakable spiritual lifeline, reaching past all appearances right to the very presence of God where Jesus, running on ahead of us, has taken up his permanent post as high priest for us, in the order of Melchizedek.
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