The Anchor of Our Souls!

Theme: How do we find the light in the darkness?

In his message this past Sunday, centered in Romans 15 and extending to other books in God’s Word, Pastor Dan reminded us of four words that uniquely describe our Glorious God and how those of us in Christ can experience them in Him. Those four words are patience, comfort, hope, and peace.

I do not want to be presumptuous, but I believe that hope is the one word out of these four that anchors the other three. As I listened to Pastor Dan teach, I felt in my soul that hope was the gift on which patience, comfort, and peace hung. And Hope is built upon faith, and faith is in the Gospel and the One of whom the Gospel is written.

Borrowing from our Pastor’s words, faith in the truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ is what allows our Father God to bring His power into our lives. In this power, God strengthens our faith, which increases our hope and delivers us patience, comfort, and peace, and more hope. Again, please forgive me if I have taken too much liberty with the message.

The Holy Spirit led me to share a message with our church's youth this past weekend. That message centered on the word freedom and how its meaning differed in the world and to us in Jesus. Our Pastor did the same with the word hope, showing that the world’s hope is “sinking sand,” versus a hope anchored in the eternal truth of Jesus Christ. Praise God!!!!

Pastor Dan also mentioned the CEO, now an “NOC,” or No One Cares. I resemble that remark. However, I want you to understand that I am also experiencing a life described by Pastor Dan as “Deeper than I ever imagined.” With the Faith I have in Jesus, by the Power of God, and the Hope that anchors all of God’s Grace, I genuinely consider all the pre-Christ years merely training for the service He allows me to provide today. I also do not need anyone to care more for what I say than anyone else. Please care for these words, however. Without Jesus, I could have never given up that worldly title or the position. Are you holding on to a title, position, label, or name? Why?

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n conclusion, it is more common than thought that words have disappeared from use and removed from our dictionary. They just became obsolete. As a literary site said, “Believe it or not ... words do disappear. For an English word to be considered outdated, there cannot be any evidence of its use since 1755 – the year of publication of Samuel Johnson’s Dictionary.”

We in Christ have the Faith, Hope, Comfort, Patience, and Peace that soon the words pain, sorrow, sadness, illness, loss, and death, among others, will become obsolete, as our Lord reigns in the new world promised to us who are His.

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Scripture: ‬‬‬Romans‬ ‭8‬:‭18‬-‭19‬ ‭NIV

“I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. For the creation waits in eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed.”

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Prayer:

Father, teach me to hold onto, covet, nor seek anything but you. Allow me to see through your eyes so that I may see the world for what it is, and your Kingdom of peace, comfort, patience, hope that comes with faith in you and your Gospel. Thank you for your love letter to me and the history of my life in you, that you have given me in your Word. I praise you, Lord! In the precious name of Jesus Christ I pray. Amen!