Daily Devotional | An Anchor for the Soul

When the S. S. Badger sails into the harbor in Ludington, Michigan, it drops anchor as it sails into port. The anchor secures the ship, which is 410 feet long and seven stories tall, as it pivots in the channel and backs into place. That piece of heavy forged steel plays a significant role.

Immediately following a passage that makes some people feel unsure about how secure they can be in their faith, the author emphasizes the assurance believers can have about their future. Verse 19 says the believer’s hope in Christ is “an anchor for the soul, firm and secure” (v. 19). Our hope is secure because it depends upon the certainty of God’s promise.

The author singles out Abraham as evidence of this, not only because the Hebrew Christians to whom he writes would have traced their ancestry from him but mainly because Abraham is a prototype of all who believe (compare with Rom. 4:11, 16–17). Abraham’s example was especially relevant to the Hebrew Christians because he had to wait patiently in faith before obtaining the promise (v. 15). God confirmed His promise to Abraham with an unbreakable oath, swearing by Himself because “there was no one greater for him to swear by” (v. 13). The fact that God had said it guaranteed the outcome.

The point made in these verses is more than a simple assertion that God keeps His word. This is undoubtedly an aspect of what is being said. But the mention of the promises made to Abraham also shows the readers that those who trust in Christ are heirs of the promises made to Abraham. God said these things to Abraham so that “we who have fled to take hold of the hope set before us may be greatly encouraged” (v. 18). The guarantee granted to Abraham was also given to us.