After a day on the lake my brother-in-law and I headed back to pull his boat out of the water. We reached the landing area and waited for another boater who pulled in before us. The owner tied his boat up to shore (a small fishing boat) and walked up to get his truck and trailer. I noticed on the back of his boat a bumper sticker that read Sh*t Happens.

As I bobbed up and down I thought, how ironic if the rope tied to the anchor came loose and his boat floated away? When he franticly realized his boat drifted in the middle of the lake I would have hollered out, Hey buddy, you know what they say—Sh*t Happens! I briefly considered slipping off our boat, swimming to shore and untying his, but before my devious thought took root he was back. Plus he was a big guy.

Without an anchor our boat floats away, and more broadly, our lives as well. But those who follow the ways of Christ tie up securely. In Hebrews we’re encouraged with this statement: We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure.

The anchor referred to here applies far beyond the spiritual. The follower of Jesus possesses a steady anchor for all of life. Outside influences cannot disturb the firmness of its character. When we flail, our anchor, Jesus Christ himself, remains steadfast and sure.

The bumper sticker on that boat wasn’t wrong. Life is full of unfortunate, unpredictable events. Which clarifies our need for hope, for an anchor that holds firm in the midst of those happenings.

Hebrews 6 in Through the Bible in 2024

Photo by Steve Saunders