March 27
‘And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.’ Romans 5:5
Bible reading: Hebrews 6:13-20 (Go to the Bible passage)
Patience and hope belong together. Someone who has lost hope, runs out of patience. And vice versa, as long as we have hope, it is possible for us to remain patient. For all of us, Abraham is an example of patience even if he too wavered at times. God had promised him that he would be father of a great nation, and when no son came, he tried to give God a helping hand by seeking a solution himself, in Ishmael (Genesis 17:18). But God does not appreciate our zeal to achieve ourselves, what He has promised to do. Therefore Abraham had to wait until all human hope had vanished (Romans 4:19,20).
So the author of the letter to the Hebrews urges us too not to waver in this same diligence until the end, in order to accomplice our hope. How easily faith is watered down to dull compliance and how rarely we have true perseverance in the hope! Therefore we - who have taken refuge in Him - may be greatly encouraged to retain the hope God has granted us through faith.
Hope is like an anchor. In ancient times, where there was no harbor, the anchor was often carried in a small boat to beyond the sandbanks and lodged onto firm ground. Then all manpower was united to pull the ship across the sandbanks to the safe haven.
This image - that was so familiar in those times - was used by the writer of today’s Bible passage. In this way Jesus preceded us in His great victory over death. So He is our hope, the anchor of our souls. If we hold this hope full of trust, then the mightiest storms may threaten us, but will not overcome us, for - actually - we have already reached our destination!

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