The Upper Room Daily Devotionals in Nashville, Tennessee, United States "THE ANCHOR AND THE CROSS" for Monday, 19 September 2016 with Scripture: Hebrews 6:13 For when God made his promise to Avraham, he swore an oath to do what he had promised; and since there was no one greater than himself for him to swear by, he swore by himself[Hebrews 6:13 Genesis 22:16] 14 and said,
“I will certainly bless you,
and I will certainly give you many descendants”;[Hebrews 6:14 Genesis 22:17]
15 and so, after waiting patiently, Avraham saw the promise fulfilled. 16 Now people swear oaths by someone greater than themselves, and confirmation by an oath puts an end to all dispute. 17 Therefore, when God wanted to demonstrate still more convincingly the unchangeable character of his intentions to those who were to receive what he had promised, he added an oath to the promise; 18 so that through two unchangeable things, in neither of which God could lie, we, who have fled to take a firm hold on the hope set before us, would be strongly encouraged. 19 We have this hope as a sure and safe anchor for ourselves, a hope that goes right on through to what is inside the parokhet, 20 where a forerunner has entered on our behalf, namely, Yeshua, who has become a cohen gadol forever, to be compared with Malki-Tzedek.[Hebrews 6:20 Psalm 110:4]
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We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure.[Hebrews 6:19 (NIV)]
Our grandson Landon loves boats. When he visits us, he pretends our long front porch is a ship. He “hoists the sails” by tugging on the cords of the window blinds and “swabs the deck” with a dust mop. Outside, the garden hose becomes a rope to haul up the anchor.
One morning as we strolled through the neighborhood, Landon spotted a bronze plaque fastened to a rock in the center of a garden. “An anchor!” he shouted. “An anchor!”
I tugged him away from the garden and said, “That’s not an anchor, Sweetie; that’s a cross.”
“It’s an anchor!” he insisted.
Later that day, as I thought about the event, I chuckled at his conviction that the cross was an anchor. Then the words to a familiar hymn filtered through my mind: “We have an anchor that keeps the soul steadfast and sure while the billows roll, fastened to the Rock which cannot move, grounded firm and deep in the Savior’s love.”*
It turns out, we were both right. The assurance of salvation represented by the cross is anchored by Christ’s divine provision. His sacrifice provides us with a secure anchor of hope.
*“We Have an Anchor,” words by Priscilla J. Owens, 1882.
See images of the author's grandson, here.
"Link2Life for September 19, 2016"
The Author: Judyann Grant (New York, USA)
Thought for the Day: The cross is an anchor for all who believe.
Prayer: Heavenly Father, so much in our lives points to your steadfast presence. Help us attune to the everyday experiences that direct us to you. Amen.
Prayer focus: SAILORS
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and I will certainly give you many descendants”;[Hebrews 6:14 Genesis 22:17]
15 and so, after waiting patiently, Avraham saw the promise fulfilled. 16 Now people swear oaths by someone greater than themselves, and confirmation by an oath puts an end to all dispute. 17 Therefore, when God wanted to demonstrate still more convincingly the unchangeable character of his intentions to those who were to receive what he had promised, he added an oath to the promise; 18 so that through two unchangeable things, in neither of which God could lie, we, who have fled to take a firm hold on the hope set before us, would be strongly encouraged. 19 We have this hope as a sure and safe anchor for ourselves, a hope that goes right on through to what is inside the parokhet, 20 where a forerunner has entered on our behalf, namely, Yeshua, who has become a cohen gadol forever, to be compared with Malki-Tzedek.[Hebrews 6:20 Psalm 110:4]
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We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure.[Hebrews 6:19 (NIV)]
Our grandson Landon loves boats. When he visits us, he pretends our long front porch is a ship. He “hoists the sails” by tugging on the cords of the window blinds and “swabs the deck” with a dust mop. Outside, the garden hose becomes a rope to haul up the anchor.
One morning as we strolled through the neighborhood, Landon spotted a bronze plaque fastened to a rock in the center of a garden. “An anchor!” he shouted. “An anchor!”
I tugged him away from the garden and said, “That’s not an anchor, Sweetie; that’s a cross.”
“It’s an anchor!” he insisted.
Later that day, as I thought about the event, I chuckled at his conviction that the cross was an anchor. Then the words to a familiar hymn filtered through my mind: “We have an anchor that keeps the soul steadfast and sure while the billows roll, fastened to the Rock which cannot move, grounded firm and deep in the Savior’s love.”*
It turns out, we were both right. The assurance of salvation represented by the cross is anchored by Christ’s divine provision. His sacrifice provides us with a secure anchor of hope.
*“We Have an Anchor,” words by Priscilla J. Owens, 1882.
See images of the author's grandson, here.
"Link2Life for September 19, 2016"
Upper Room author Judyann Grant's grandson, Landon
Thought for the Day: The cross is an anchor for all who believe.
Prayer: Heavenly Father, so much in our lives points to your steadfast presence. Help us attune to the everyday experiences that direct us to you. Amen.
Prayer focus: SAILORS
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“We Have an Anchor,” words by Priscilla J. Owens, 1882.
1. Will your anchor hold in the storms of life,
When the clouds unfold their wings of strife?
When the strong tides lift and the cables strain,
Will your anchor drift, or firm remain?
Refrain:
We have an anchor that keeps the soul
Steadfast and sure while the billows roll,
Fastened to the Rock which cannot move,
Grounded firm and deep in the Savior’s love.
2. It is safely moored, ’twill the storm withstand,
For ’tis well secured by the Savior’s hand;
And the cables, passed from His heart to mine,
Can defy that blast, thro’ strength divine.
Refrain:
We have an anchor that keeps the soul
Steadfast and sure while the billows roll,
Fastened to the Rock which cannot move,
Grounded firm and deep in the Savior’s love.
3. It will surely hold in the Straits of Fear—
When the breakers have told that the reef is near;
Though the tempest rave and the wild winds blow,
Not an angry wave shall our bark o’erflow.
Refrain:
We have an anchor that keeps the soul
Steadfast and sure while the billows roll,
Fastened to the Rock which cannot move,
Grounded firm and deep in the Savior’s love.
4. It will firmly hold in the Floods of Death—-
When the waters cold chill our latest breath,
On the rising tide it can never fail,
While our hopes abide within the Veil.
Refrain:
We have an anchor that keeps the soul
Steadfast and sure while the billows roll,
Fastened to the Rock which cannot move,
Grounded firm and deep in the Savior’s love.
5. When our eyes behold through the gath’ring night
The city of gold, our harbor bright,
We shall anchor fast by the heav’nly shore,
With the storms all past forevermore.
Refrain:
We have an anchor that keeps the soul
Steadfast and sure while the billows roll,
Fastened to the Rock which cannot move,
Grounded firm and deep in the Savior’s love.
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