Hope: The Sure And Steady Anchor Of My Soul

Hope is one of those words that might show up on a couch pillow or a coffee mug. We’ve domesticated the word. The church has tamed it until it’s become a floating, sentimental abstraction.

The truth is that hope is our lifeline. Paul commends the believers in Thessalonica for their “steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Thessalonians 1:3). The writer of Hebrews said, “We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure…” That’s a vivid metaphor, but what about the end of the verse: “…a hope that enters into the inner place behind the curtain” (Hebrews 6:19)?

Anchor…?
Curtain…?

That “curtain” (or some Bible versions call it a “veil”) refers to the barrier around the Most Holy Place in the Jewish Temple. It’s the veil that was torn in two from the top to the bottom when Jesus let go of his life.

The road of relationship had been opened.
The hope of eternal life had been confirmed.
Look at our hope in Christ again now with both the anchor and the curtain:

We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters into the inner place behind the curtain.”

Hope is a solid and theologically based gift from God. Jesus’s death made good on an invitation that started back in Genesis, and it finds its consummation in the last chapter of the Bible: “Come!”

We have hope because we have the invitation to go to that inner place behind the veil.
This privilege is based in the gospel.

Hope is a solid and theologically based gift from God. We have hope because we have the invitation. The road of relationship had been opened. The hope of eternal life had been confirmed.

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Yakhal in Hebrew means “to wait with hopeful patience, embodying quiet, steadfast anticipation.”
Quvah, also in Hebrew, suggests “tension in hopeful expectation, much like a cord pulled taut.”
Elpis in Greek “conveys a living hope—a guaranteed promise based on the life and resurrection of Jesus Christ.”

Whether it’s read straight through or in leisurely snatches of beauty, this collection is designed to connect readers to our sure and steady anchor. In Christ, we find the peaceful hope of quiet endurance, the optimistic hope of expectant tension, and the assurance of a living hope because our Redeemer lives.

What Other Reviewers Are Saying

“What a beautiful and inspiring collection of writings focused on hope and trust in God Anchor of My Soul is to read and meditate upon! Emily Dickinson, Tolstoy, C.S. Lewis, O. Henry, Walter Ciszek, Nelson Mandela, Marilynn Robinson and Nikki Grimes and so many other vibrant voices gathered here in this splendid symphony—accompanied as it is by an array of luminous paintings placed skillfully throughout–that it is no wonder the spirit is moved to sing out with joy. A shout out to Paraclete Press for making this collection possible. Reader, here is a book that will stay with you like that lark in winter for a long, long time.” — Paul Mariani, University Professor of English Emeritus at Boston College

“If, like me, you’re weary of glib books on hope, filled with easy promises, this new collection from Paraclete Press may be a refreshing change of pace. In these pages we walk with others who have endured great pain and loss—and still found meaning in their lives. Carefully curated selections from scripture, poets, novelists, political prisoners, presidents, bereaved parents, and artists combine to demonstrate that God understands our darkest moments. Each page is redolent of calm compassion and true communion with, as the editors write, “the hope that does not disappoint.” —David Bannon, author of Wounded in Spirit: Advent Art and Meditations

Holding You in the Light,

Filled with gorgeous illustrations and seasoned with inspiring quotes and hope-themed poetry, essays, and excerpts, Anchor of My Soul is a treasury of readings designed to support biblical hope in the believing heart. @paracletepress

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