The Anchor part 5
God's promise--made from Him to Him, with us included in it--is the anchor to our soul. The hope isn't that something will happen. It is the assurance that something has happened. We don't need anything because we have already been given everything. For God so loved the world He gave His only begotten Son. That's all we've ever needed. All we could ever need. What you got if you ain't got love? The kind that you just want to give away. Because that's what love is--love is giving. You can give without loving, but you can't love without giving. Here's our key verse for this Rant series in the ESV, "We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters into the inner place behind the curtain" (Hebrews 6:19). God holding up both sides of the bargain is our sure and steadfast anchor. That's what keeps us from going off the straight and narrow way that leads to life. Look at Isaiah 30:21, "And thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying, This is the way, walk ye in it, when ye turn to the right hand, and when ye turn to the left." Now, again, that's not God punishing us. That's our heavenly Father chastening and correcting us. Which isn't a bad thing. That's a good thing. It's so easy to get twisted around. So easy to be like that ship tossed by the waves. But look at Ephesians 4:12-14, speaking of the five-fold ministry, "For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ: That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive." In other words, if you know the truth... you can ignore the lie. If you're anchored... you won't be tossed to and fro. You can stand on the Rock and not be shaken. That's why it's so important that we know what we believe. If you don't stand for something, you'll fall for anything. If you only have head knowledge and not experiential heart knowledge you might THINK something... but you won't KNOW it. A man with an experience is never at the mercy of a man with an argument. When we know and believe that God loves us... we will be able to withstand anything. The fire in us will always be hotter than the fire we're in. But, as always, it's a trust issue. It's a faith issue. When we hear that Word (which is Jesus, which is love) from behind us (the finished work. Not something that needs to happen, but something that has already happened) we can course correct. The Holy Spirit will lead us, guide us, direct us, and protect us. He will tell us where to go... and where NOT to go. It's ok to have limits. It's ok to stay in your lane. You don't have to do everything. And, really, you shouldn't try to do everything. Because you can't do everything. You're not supposed to. You weren't meant to. Just do your best and forget the rest. Just be still and know that HE is God. Let Him do what He is of a mind to do. Let Him take care of you. Like any good father would. Don't try to be someone you're not. And don't try to get something you think you haven't got. Not everything is for you. That's ok. Trust in Him to give you what IS for you. Trust in Him to be who HE is, and in that knowledge of who HE is... be who YOU really are! The sure and steadfast anchor of our soul is the love that our heavenly Father loves us with. That's what keeps us, and leads us, and guides us, and directs us, and protects us!