“Thus God, determining to show more abundantly to the heirs of promise the immutability of His counsel, confirmed it by an oath, that by two immutable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we might have strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold of the hope set before us. This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which enters the Presence behind the veil” (NKJV).
Yesterday, the L.A. Marathon was run. It’s a grueling 26 miles. In interviewing one of the runners, they asked if he had noticed that the course had changed to include some beautiful views. He said, no, that he just kept looking ahead to eventually see the end of the course. He knew that the run wouldn’t last forever, that if he kept running, he would eventually see the finish line.
There are many Christians in the world who are suffering greatly right now. And through that suffering, we need to learn that avoiding the suffering shouldn’t be the goal, but rather running through the suffering to the finish line, to the hope that we have in the Lord Jesus, the salvation of our souls. We have a hope that is secure, the hope of everlasting life, if we persevere to the end. And that hope is an anchor for our souls if we allow it to be.
Jean-Mark Vaval is the eight-year-old son of a Haitain pastor. This pastor is also the Haitian director of Global Orphan. For the past weeks, this father has been working to feed and locate hundreds of children separated from their parents because of the earthquake in Port a Prince. He was doing this, not knowing where his son was. Last night, on 60 Minutes, I watched this father tell his congregation that while he didn’t know where his son was, God knew where he was. And the father was smiling, not crying. (http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2010/03/19/60minutes/main6315112.shtml?tag=cbsnewsSectionContent.2)
Can you imagine? This man understands the hope that we have as Christians. He understands that we often can’t control the circumstances around us and must simply trust God to control what we can’t. This pastor’s hope is an anchor to his soul.
Right now many of us are going through circumstances that are bleak. As far as we can see into the future, there is no hope for things to get better. And yet, as Christians, we need to continue to trust God to make things work together for our good (Romans 8:28), to cling to the belief that we have a hope simply because He has promised us that. Jeremiah 29:11 (NKJV) says:
“For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.”
In the midst of the turmoil, God has promised us peace between us and Him. God has promised us a future and a hope. We may not hold what the future holds, but we know Who holds the future.
“I Know Who Holds Tomorrow” by Ira Stanphill
I don’t know about tomorrow. It may bring me poverty,
But the One Who feeds the sparrow is the One Who stands by me.
And the path that is my portion may be through the flame or flood
But His presence goes before me and I’m covered with His blood.
Many things about tomorrow, I don’t seem to understand
But I know who holds tomorrow, and I know who holds my hand.
This life is a hiccup in eternity. We can endure anything, can do all things through Christ who strengthens us (Phil. 4:13). We may not have a bright immediate future, but we have a bright eternal future, and in the long run, that’s all that matters.
© 2010 Robin L. O’Hare. All rights reserved. Permission granted for nonprofit and church groups to use this article in its entirety (including this notice). For other uses, please contact servinggodalone@yahoo.com.
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