The Upper Room Daily Devotional Nashville, Tennessee, United States “Our Anchor” for Tuesday, 30 December 2014 - Scripture: Hebrews 6:13-18

The Upper Room Daily Devotional Nashville, Tennessee, United States “Our Anchor” for Tuesday, 30 December 2014 - Scripture: Hebrews 6: 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.
We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure.[Hebrews 6:19 (NIV)]
It was a glorious day, and we were in our boat at the mouth of the river. My husband was engrossed in fishing, and I was focused on reading my book. Suddenly someone called out, alerting us that we had lost our anchor. Not only had we drifted dangerously close to another boat, but my husband could no longer keep fishing without our anchor. So we headed for shore.
This experience reminded me of the truth that Jesus is our anchor. He is our lifeline and our hope. When he is our center, the one we rely on, he keeps us steady and productive. On the other hand, if we take our eyes off Jesus and become involved in our own agendas, then without even knowing it, we can find ourselves drifting away from the love and grace he offers.
That day I remembered the words of Hebrews 6 and the confidence I have because Christ is the steadfast anchor in my life.
Read more from the author, here.
"More than Enough"
Since writing today’s meditation for The Upper Room many things have changed in my life. One change is that I no longer have a husband or a boat. I also have two more beautiful grandchildren and another on the way. Some friends have moved away and I’ve made some new ones. Our lives are full of changes – some good and some more difficult to cope with. The world is constantly changing – whoever thought we’d be reading The Upper Room on our phones and conversing with others on the site! However one thing doesn’t change and that is God. How encouraging it is to know that God is always the same. His love is constant, his kindness is certain; his mercy is new every morning. God is our rock and our refuge, our provider and our friend.
During this Christmas season I have been thinking about how much the Father loved us that he sent Jesus into our broken world and changing lives. How much Jesus loved us that he left the glory and wonder of heaven to come as a helpless human baby to live as one of us. Through his life he revealed the Father to us and then he gave up his life to become the perfect sacrifice needed to forgive our sins. Because of the work of the cross we need not fear death as Jesus defeated death and offers us eternal life.  We can come into God’s presence wearing our robes of righteousness because of Jesus. All our needs are provided for by the wonderful work of the cross. On the cross Jesus said ‘It is finished!’ and it is. There is nothing we need to do but accept the grace that is ours.
The hope we have as children of God is unchanging. Our inheritance is secure and God’s promises are sure. We have the Holy Spirit in us and the power that raised Jesus from the dead available to us. We have a God who loves us more than we can ever imagine. Our God is so good. What wonderful hope is ours! So when we feel overwhelmed by change let us remember our God who is the same every day and press into him because God is more than enough.[Ann Stewart]
The Author: Ann Stewart (South Australia, Australia)
Thought for the Day: Christ is reliable on both calm and stormy days.
Prayer: Thank you, Father, for giving us Jesus as our anchor and our hope. As he taught us, we pray, “Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever” (Matt. 6:9-13, kjv). Amen.
Prayer focus: Anglers
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