Day 4
An Anchor in the Storm
We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. [Hebrews 6:19a]
There’s a nautical term used in the sailing world: “kedging.” A kedge anchor is used when a ship is grounded or in rough seas. Sailors in a small boat will row the kedge anchor as far as they can from the ship in the general direction they want to move toward. They drop the kedge anchor into the sea. Then, back on board the ship, the sailors start the ship’s winch and pull their way toward the anchor. That’s “kedging.”
We don’t normally think of moving toward an anchor. An anchor usually represents the past. It holds us back. Sometimes, however, the anchor is our future. We move toward it. In turbulent times, or when we’ve run aground, we need to pull ourselves into the future with the anchor of hope.
The early Christians were anchored in this hope: Jesus not only died on the cross so that He forgives and hears us now; Jesus was resurrected, and that means one day in the future He will resurrect us too, to live in restored, immortal bodies. In fact the whole earth will be remade to show the glory it was meant to have from the beginning, and we’ll live there together under God’s peaceful reign. In the meantime, we are to act in the same way we’ll act on the new heaven and new earth, as ambassadors of that future world.
It’s been said the resurrection provides the “missing link” to our faith: Sure, we can catch glimpses of God’s power while we live, but on a lot of days life can still feel futile. The resurrection erases the futility, and fills us with hope.
Winch yourself toward that anchor!
Question to Consider
How does the promise of a resurrection serve as an anchor pulling me toward the future? How can this improve my outlook on life?
Prayer
Lord, thank You for the assurance of the resurrection!
