Anchored in Christ.

     It’s noisy outside isn’t it? Come away with me for just 5 minutes, a brief time out if you please because I cannot wait to give you some good news! 

     I love this verse because when you are in the trenches beloved, you need a verse to hang your hat on! I need a piece of God’s word that shows me in black and white the way to go, or at least where to wait!

“ You became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you received the word in the midst of severe suffering with the joy given by the Holy Spirit. “ 1 Thess.1:6. We hear it again in Hebrews 6 we are told not to be sluggish.(Sound familiar to those who read yesterday?)

      “Wake up and be imitators of those who through who faith and patience, inherit the promises. You are not alone beloved if you are suffering. In fact you are in good company. The Thessalonians were receiving the word of God in the middle of severe suffering it says. But they kept their eyes looking upward instead of hanging their heads in despair. They looked to the Lord and those around them that were walking by faith. These were not people who had it easy rather they were fellow believers that were  anchored deep in Jesus waiting, waiting to inherit the promises.

     When you are in a season of waiting on the Lord it is so important to surround yourself with people who are, or have waited in faith and patience on the Lord. Or at least surround yourself with those who encourage you in the waiting.  I think about Job and how he was not encouraged to wait on the Lord but rather to curse God and die. 

     For myself personally it has not been the person with “perfect words” that I needed but rather someone willing to walk beside me listening to my heart, and praying with me even saying at times,” I don’t know how, Tara, I only know He will. His promises are true.” 

Isn’t that the reminder we need? He is faithful! You are not alone, He walks with you. Look up! This morning in my quiet time I was led to a  passage in Isaiah 61: 1-4 It is something the Lord has really put on my heart as a desire for me to extend to my readers so that they may take hold of. My desire is that the Lord would take my words and would use them to :

– To bring good news to the afflicted.

– To bind up the broken hearted.

– To proclaim the return of Christ.

– To comfort those who mourn.

– To give them a garland instead of ashes.

– To pour out on them the oil of gladness instead of mourning.

– To give them garments of praise instead of despair.

     

     There is such power in that whole passage! Do you know what happens beloved when you bring “all the things” and lay them at His feet? In exchange He says, ” You will be called righteous trees planted by the Lord, to glorify Him.”! When you are planted by the Lord, let your roots grow down deep into Him dear ones. For when we are anchored in Christ himself (rather than ourselves) when the winds of life blow hard and the tempest of circumstances rage around us we are held firm and steadfast. 

     This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, a hope both sure and steadfast and one which enters within the veil.