Hebrews 6:19 We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure.
The past has so much to teach us, if we are willing to be schooled by it. But history can be a complicated course of study. There are very few ‘simple’ lessons that can be gleaned. Humanity, and the history we make, is a many layered, many factored series of events.
Every action that we take is influenced by our own history, our perceptions and assessments of the present, and pesky things called feelings. As I walked through the Flossenburg Concentration Camp a few weeks ago, the horrors of the Nazi regime was palpable. This camp is where Dietrich Bonhoeffer was executed by firing squad just weeks before the camp was liberated.
Just walking the grounds and realizing that the town of Flossenburg was so close to the camp, I came to wonder how the townspeople could have stood by and let the forced labor continue. For many, I am sure it was just survival. If they spoke up, they would end up being on the wrong end of a firing squad. So it was easier to just stay silent.
Today in the United States, it is easier to stay silent as our fundamental rights are being taken away, rather than speak up and face the backlash. Church services are prohibited, but public rioting isn’t. Those who make the rules are free to violate them without repercussions, but if we do, we get handcuffed and hauled off to jail.
It could be easy to make the case for armed rebellion, but I am not, because I have a hope that goes beyond this secular life. I am not a time-bound person. I have eternity waiting for me after I die. My current life is just a vapor when compared to my life in eternity.
The author of the book of Hebrews refers to the earthly father of the Jews, Abraham, who received what the LORD had promised him. The LORD had promised, and even taken an oath, to confirm His intention to bring the promise into being. Abraham believed what the LORD had said about his future.
We have God’s promise and oath today. Jesus is going to return. Period. We are going to be united with Him in a new kingdom. We are going to rule and reign with Him.
And this is just a promise of something still future. He also promises to never leave us or forsake us right now. Even in times when it would be easier to just go with the flow, Jesus will be with us if we stand for the Truth against the coming onslaught.
Is your anchor firmly seated in Jesus? Is He holding you steady in this storm? Or are you drifting and in danger of becoming a shipwreck?
The Arnold Journey 