The Anchor of Hope

 

Hello everyone! Glad and be grateful I could come back again with my new post. On the first week of this New Year, I got a lot of questions from my friends about what is my prediction for this year, especially in the business and finance field. Some of them shows their pessimistic in carrying out this year; they assume this year will not be better than previous. They even filled with anxiety in facing this year. “I didn’t dare to put hope too much, or even I didn’t have hope at all for this year. I think could be surviving day by day is more than enough” Said one of my friend pessimistically.

My beloved friends, on my first post of this year I longs to talk about hope. In this today world that full of problems, affliction, and trials, there are many people losing hope in their life. For me, personally, this is horrible. I am not saying that I am definitely could do anything and will surely success in every field this year, but if until know I could work well it just because I have hope. I always put my hope on everything I do. I hope could get a better achievement in working. I also have a hope to be a better mother of my son; I hope could be a better wife for my husband. And also I hope could be a better daughter to my parents that has been entrust me to manage everything they build before. The point is because of hope I am able to keep moving. I found many people because they lose of hope, their lives like a programmable robot which is doesn’t have a soul; there is no longing in their heart to get a better future, and they don’t have dreams, goals, and vision to be achieved. They become people who are lazy to pursue a better future.

What the God’s word says about this thing?  Paul, on his letter to the Corinthians was conveying clearly an important thing about hope. At that time he cited a script from the Law of Moses in Deuteronomy 25: 4. He said: For it is written in the Law of Moses, “You shall not muzzle an ox while it treads out the grain.” Is it oxen God is concerned about?  Or does He say it altogether for our sakes? For our sakes, no doubt, this is written, that he who plows should plow in hope, and he who threshes in hope should be partaker of his hope. (1 Corinthians 9:9-10)

What does the meaning of the verses above? Let’s ponder together. Let us focus on the word: “That who plows should plow in hope, and he who threshes in hope should be partaker of his hope” After I deeply reflect on these words, I conclude one important thing. We have to do everything in hope! Whatever we working on, we have to always put hope on it. This is an important message that will be able to make us continue to have dreams, goals and, vision in our lives, not just survive from day after day without any hope at all in our hearts. Don’t expect we have fire of spirit without hope. Without hope we wouldn’t be able to be diligent and get the best results. Hope will be able to help us be faithful and committed both where we work, in our profession or everything we strive in this world.

Now the question is, when we already have a hope, where we have to put our hope? I also found many people today even though they have hope but they put their hope at the wrong place. They put hope on human’s strength, power, wealth, and other worldly things. It will definitely doesn’t work and will be in vain. As good as any humans still have weaknesses. No matter how powerful someone is, there is always someone more powerful. No matter how rich someone is, there is still someone richer. So where is the right place to put our hope? Well, has been clearly written in the Bible where we have to put our hope. Let’s take a look to the Holy Bible.

I pray that God, the source of hope… (Romans 15:13)

This letter is from Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus, appointed by the command of God our Savior and Christ Jesus, who gives us hope. (1Timothy 1:1)

These verses vividly show us where we should to put our hope in this life. There is only one in this world that can be our hope; He is God in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. God is source of hope and through Jesus Christ He gives us hope. Therefore, let’s remember don’t put our hope to others, let us put our hope in the Lord Jesus Christ who already sitting at the right hand of the throne of God the Father in Heaven. Hoping in Jesus is like sure and steadfast anchor,

This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which enters the Presence behind the veil. (Hebrews 6:19)

Oh, what a wonderful fact! We have hope as sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, an anchor that can’t slip and can’t break down under whoever steps on it. The powerful and safe anchor that we have is named the anchor of hope!  If I likens our life is like a ship, we have Christ Jesus the solid rock that can be a strong and safe mooring for the anchor to hold and the ship of our life will remain strong and will be not tottering aimlessly.

My beloved readers, what about us now? Whether we are included to those who are seeing this New Year with pessimistic like some of my friends and we look this year as a dark and gloomy year? This evening allow me to encourage all of us to enlighten our view, mind and lives with the light of hope. If we feel everything we do will be in vain, let us immediately put hope above all that we do and put it on the right place. Immediately direct our view and mind to Jesus who gives us hope and as a Highest Priest. Hold fast our hope without wavering as written in the bible,

Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful. (Hebrews 10:23)

I am fully realized that our lives ahead will not be easy or will be even more difficult than before. There are always problems; trials, challenge, uncertain situation, and we might feel insecure with our future, once again please allow me to encourage all of us to remember these:

And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope.  Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us. (Romans 5:3-5)

You will be secure, because there is hope;
you will look about you and take your rest in safety. (Job 11:18)

We have to totally trust that once we put our hope on God, then we will not disappointed because hope doesn’t disappoint and we will secure because there is hope. If so far we feel what we are doing seems confiscate our lives in vain, immediately pray and ask to God to shows where the point of the problem. Allow God to speak and tell us His plan while continuing to nurture our hope in obedience. Although we see this year will fraught with difficulty and seemed to close all possibilities to hope, let’s keep tightly hold hope in Christ and keep rejoicing in hope, for the Bible has been clearly states that,

 Dear my friends, in undergoing this new year, Let’s keep walking in faith and hope, always put our hope on Jesus Christ the source of hope and who gives us hope, anchored our anchor of hope to Jesus the solid rock while we wait for the blessed hope—the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ. (Titus 2:13) Amen

Karina –Living by faith

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