Let's look at how we can get to the place of feeling that anchor gripping that which cannot be shaken or change in the midst of turbulence: The Rock himself, Christ Jesus.

THE SOURCE OF SECURITY
What is this hope that is to be a firm secure anchor, as our text says? Heb 6:16‑19a defines it.
Men swear by someone greater than themselves, and the oath confirms what is said and puts an end to all argument.  Because God wanted to make the unchanging nature of his purpose very clear to the heirs of what was promised, he confirmed it with an oath.  God did this so that, by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled to take hold of the hope offered to us may be greatly encouraged.  We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure.
Hope is the anchor, based  upon two unchangeable things: God’s nature and His promise to us. We can count on these two realities.  God cannot change because He is perfect. And His promises are certain, for He cannot lie and He is all-powerful, so He can do what He has promised. Here it is important to realize that the Biblical concept of hope is not wishful thinking (like, “I hope it rains tomorrow”). It is a confident assurance  anticipation, that what is promised will be fulfilled.

Now I'm not too familiar with anchors on ocean-going vessels. But, I know about other kinds of anchoring, tying things down against the wind or other forces. While we were in Montana, The Forest Service decided to rent out fire towers they no longer needed to people for vacations or a nights stay. Polly thought that would be high adventure and talked me into it. And it turned out to be that literally– very high, on top of a mountain, then climbing another 60-70' up this fire tower. She planned it when her brother would be visiting from Cleveland so he could share the adventure with us and our son, Kris. It was late September. I did observe that it was well anchored with steel cables attached to steel anchors drilled into to the solid bedrock of the mountain. That night, high winds came up and sounded like they'd blow the windows in. I could feel gusts hitting shaking this little room on 60' wooden stilts. I kept thinking about the anchoring I’d observed and the history of the tower, hoping the tower had withstood more serious winds than this. The key of course wasn't the tower itself. It seemed like a rather a feeble structure in it's own. But, what it was anchored to, and how well it was anchored was the important thing.

Our Scripture tells us how to be anchored to God's unchanging nature. He is the Creator of the universe and all-powerful, so nothing can shake us. Suppose you're starting a business where you're putting everything you own at risk and then some, going way out on a limb to pursue a dream. Then I come by and say, "Hey, what a great idea, I'll back you 100% in this!" You'd probably think, thanks, but, while that’s nice moral support, you don't have the financial resources to make me feel secure. But, if Bill Gates says you have a great idea and he’ll back you all the way, declaring, “I will not let this fail!” That provides a sense of security. He can back-up his word billions of dollars we can’t even imagine.

The God of the universe has promised you many things in His Word. He cannot lie. He will be true to His Word. The hope anticipating His provision, our text says, is an absolute certainty and is an anchor or lifeline we can grab “with both hands and never let go.”

GETTING ANCHORED
This brings us to the question, "How do we get really anchored in God's promises?" Verse 18 says this belongs to “we who have fled to take hold of the hope offered.” That's a choice. We can try to deal with the tempests with our human coping mechanisms. But sooner or later we’re going to come up short. Or we can find refuge in God and His promises. The context of our text is primarily regarding the forgiveness of sins, salvation and eternal life. We can be absolutely certain of our salvation, but also of every other promise God has made to us; promises like his love, presence, and faithfulness. Have you ever heard people say, "Christianity is for wimps.  It's just a crutch for weak people who can't handle things on their own?" Actually, that's a fairly keen insight, as far as it goes. We're all weak at some point and all insecure if we’re honest. Only the macho and arrogant will not admit it. They feign independence and competence instead of finding refuge in the One from whom we come, to Whom we go, and through Whom we survive in a world like this. That is why Paul says, "When I  am weak, I am strong."

"Take hold" is a phrase that implies getting deeply anchored, not just a surface thing. Or, as The Message states this,
We who have run for our very lives to God have every reason to grab the promised hope with both hands and never let go. It's an unbreakable spiritual lifeline...
Often it seems like God's nature and His promises are like a thin veneer, or paint on the surface of our lives. We know about them, they sound good, and we can use them almost as cliché's– promises regarding blessing, peace, and His presence. They are there, but they are not woven deeply into our souls. I wouldn't have felt too good in that fire tower if the anchoring cables were just laying on the ground with a few big rocks on them. But no.  They were drilled into the solid rock forming the top of the mountain and cemented in.

How do we take hold of this hope, this anchor, this spiritual lifeline so it takes hold of us so it is intertwined with the depths of our souls, creating a security deep within? It begins with receiving Jesus Christ as our Savior. We are reminded in vs. 19-20 that the anchor is connected to salvation offered through Jesus Christ’s atoning sacrifice:
We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain,  where Jesus, who went before us, has entered on our behalf. He has become a high priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek.
The reference here is to the thick curtain in the temple between the place where the altar was and the people could be and the Holy of Holies. The Holy of Holies was off-limits for all except once a year, on The Day of Atonement, a priest went behind that curtain and offered atonement for the sins of the people. Only one priest, once a year could do this. The Holy of Holies was where God’s presence dwelt. At Jesus death, this curtain in the temple was supernaturally torn from top to bottom, in a graphic message to all that the barrier between God and man is removed through Christ’s atoning death. So each one now has access to God through Jesus Christ. We can be certain of our atonement and our salvation when we take Christ into our lives. And, we can walk right into the presence of God anytime. We have constant access through Jesus Christ.

 

Once we’ve made the decision to flee to Jesus and take hold of this anchor of hope and receive Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, I’d like to give you some practical helps. There are hundreds of promises that apply to us, but for a practical application,  let’s just take one example– His promise to us, "I will never leave you nor forsake you (Heb. 13:5)."

First of course, you have to know the promise, and believe it. We get these promises from God’s Word, eternally true and unchanging. Then, we can start working it into our lives. Here, humility is needed.  The word, humility, comes from humus. We need to let our lives become soil where the promise can be worked into. This is a humble, open attitude, recognizing our need and receiving. It is what Jesus refers to as "the poor in spirit"– knowing our need. We do this mostly through praying it in, thinking of the implications of what it means for this day. What does it mean in the difficulty you are having with that co-worker or family member.  How does it affect the deep loneliness or insecurity you feel? Ask God to help you be alert to His presence.

Then, through the day, keep applying this promise, “I will never leave you...” keep being alert to signs of His grace and presence. Sometimes it helps to play the "what if?" game. That is, ask yourself, “How would I act or respond to this situation if I were sure of Jesus standing right here beside me, backing me up?”

That's just a sample of how we can respond to just that one promise. Soon, rather than just laying on the surface of our lives we’ll find our roots entangled deeply around this truth, this promise of God. It will be impossible to root it out of our lives. I’ve read that wheat grown out on the plains can have roots that go down seven feet into the soil. That’s rooted! That’s anchored!

There are times when we may be the link others need to get anchored in Jesus. I remember a scene a number of years ago in another church. I was called to the hospital late at night by a nurse who thought I might be helpful. A teenager had tried to take her life through an overdose. I didn’t know this teen, but when I stepped into her room, Pam, whom I knew from our church, was already there, sitting beside the bed, holding the hand of this semi-conscious girl silently praying. The best way I can describe it as I stepped through that door, I felt like I was on holy ground. I knew Pam to be a powerful intercessor in prayer who deeply loved teens. It really seemed to me like this frightened teen was clinging to Pam as a lifeline, and Pam in turn was reaching right through any barriers, linking this young girl to Jesus through her quiet intercessions. It was incredibly beautiful from a spiritual perspective. I wasn’t needed. I joined Pam for awhile in prayer, but she assured me she was prepared to spend the night if called for, for this girl she knew simply because she lived up the road a ways from her. I left knowing incredible things were going on in that room in the realm of the Spirit.

Let’s be open and available as Pam was to help form a link for people who haven’t yet gotten linked up with The Anchor, Jesus. In times of trouble, when they are searching, let’s be there, loving, prayerful, making the contact on their behalf.