I’ve been shaken lately by the state of our country and our world. Shaken by the hatred people keep spewing at each other; by COVID-19 and the reality of our new normal; by our divisive political system; by racism, racial tension, and riots. I could go on and on. I am shaken, but I am not overwhelmed. 

There’s only one reason I can live today without total fear, anxiety, and disappointment:

Jesus. 

He is my hope, as firm and secure as anchor.

“For when God made a promise to Abraham, since he had no one greater to swear by, he swore by himself: I will indeed bless you, and I will greatly multiply you. And so, after waiting patiently, Abraham obtained the promise. For people swear by something greater than themselves, and for them a confirming oath ends every dispute. Because God wanted to show his unchangeable purpose even more clearly to the heirs of the promise, he guaranteed it with an oath, so that through two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled for refuge might have strong encouragement to seize the hope set before us. We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain. Jesus has entered there on our behalf as a forerunner, because he has become a high priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.” (Hebrews 6:13-20)

I am easily tempted to put my hope in changing, temporary things. Even as a believer, I still fail to trust God, and I still look to earthly things to satisfy me. Here’s a few that tend to make the rotation. Perhaps you can relate:

• Work

• Money

• Home

• Stability

• Comfort

• Control

• Relationships

• Marriage

• Children

• Health

• Government 

These things are fading away. This world is not our permanent home. Our citizenship is in heaven (Philippians 3:20). We desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one (Hebrews 11:16). God tells us to not love the world or the things in the world (1 John 2:15). Instead, “be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” (Romans 12:2)

Christ is on the throne. He is unchanging, and He is always true. He keeps His promises. As the author of Hebrews writes, God wanted to show his unchangeable promise even more clearly so he guaranteed it with an oath. What does that mean?

To see the full picture here, we need to start in the Old Testament. Tim Keller’s sermon “A Covenant Relationship” has helped me understand this oath more clearly. In Genesis 15, God tells Abram that He will bless him and make his offspring as numerous as the stars. Abram believes God but wants to know how he can be sure. Remember Abram is old, likely in his 70s at this point, and his wife Sarah is barren.

So God asks Abram to arrange dead animals, cut in half, in two rows. Abram thought he was setting up what a typical oath would look like: A servant would kill the animals, divide them, and arrange them in two rows. Then the servant would walk between the pieces to swear loyalty to their master. The servant is essentially saying if they don’t keep their promise, may they be cut into pieces like those animals. 

What instead happens is that God Himself passes between the pieces. Keller explains, God is promising that He will bless Abram, and He says He will die if He doesn’t fulfill this! Furthermore, God doesn’t ask Abram to walk through the pieces. Abram doesn’t make an oath whatsoever. This is all God.

God made this oath with us. He gave us Jesus, and our hope as believers is firm and secure.

As Keller perfectly states, “Jesus Christ absolutely fulfilled the conditions of the law so that God could love you absolutely unconditionally.”

If you’re feeling overwhelmed or lost, maybe it’s time to turn off the news, delete your social media apps, and look to God’s Word. (Hello, preaching to myself here.) Jesus’ kingdom is not of this world (John 18:36). If we want peace, we have to look beyond this planet. We have to trust in the promises of God and take encouragement from His great hope.

If you’re not a believer in Jesus or you don’t know what to think about all this, will you message me? I’m praying this crazy time leads you and many others to love God and live for Him.

And if you are a Christian, then let’s remember to lift one another up by the hope of the gospel. By the fact that God took on the curse we deserve and still guarantees us the blessing, by faith through grace. Let’s be the light this world needs.