Wednesday, October 9 2024 - 5:12 AM

Sharing Scripture — February 12, 2022

Jesus, the Anchor of the Soul

 

For use: February 6 – 12, 2022
Texts: Hebrews 6:4–6; Matthew 16:24; Romans 6:6; Hebrews 10:26–29; Hebrews 6:9–13, Hebrews 6:17–20

 

The European Space Agency is investigating changes in Earth’s magnetic field that could eventually have drastic consequences for humanity. The magnetic field has lost about 9% of its strength during the past 200 years. The greatest drop is found in the area between Africa and South America, known as the “South Atlantic Anomaly.” That weakening is allowing some cosmic rays to affect orbiting satellites in that region.

The gradual loss of the magnetic field will eventually make Earth an uninhabitable rock. Not only will compasses quit working, but birds will lose the ability to migrate for the winter. Harmful cosmic radiation will bombard the earth’s surface. The resulting geomagnetic storm will knock out not only our satellites, but also the whole electric grid. Finally, our atmosphere will be stripped away, along with every river, stream and ocean.

Fortunately (for us), this scenario is predicted to occur several million years down the road. It does illustrate, however, our dependence on something as seemingly benign as magnetic attraction.

As Christians, we are totally dependent on Jesus not only for our physical life, but also for our quality of life—our sense of satisfaction and well-being. The lovely character of Jesus is our life-giving attractant.

Just as the magnetic field makes physical life possible on our planet, so Jesus is the energizing force of our spiritual lives. According to Hebrews 6:19-20, our hope in Jesus as our eternal High Priest  is the anchor for our souls. Jesus fills the longing of our hearts with love and purpose, giving our lives meaning that—without God—will otherwise be barren and hopeless.

Without this hope, humankind can only see a future of gradual degeneration as this planet eventually wears out and dies. With the hope of Jesus anchoring our souls, we can look forward to the better things listed in Hebrews 6:9-12: God will never abandon us, and we will ultimately receive our promised inheritance.

 

For Reflection

 

Connecting: When was the last time you used a compass or a GPS signal to navigate to your destination? How lost would you be if those navigation devices just disappeared?

Sharing: Hebrews 6:9-12 indicates the author’s confidence that there are better things in store for believers, and that our spiritual lives will continually improve. Identify one positive benefit we receive when we practice each of the following spiritual disciplines.

 

  1. We uphold a constant relationship with God through prayer, reading Scripture, going to church, and more. …
  2. We help anyone and everyone, whether they acknowledge God as Lord or not
  3. We are diligent until the end
  4. We are always energized by our loving service toward others
  5. We imitate others who exhibit faith 
  6. Other:

Applying: What are some ways that the devil distracts people from their focus on Jesus? How do these distractions eat away at the human soul? Outline some strategies to mitigate the effects of those distractions.

Valuing: Do you ever become dissatisfied with life? What are some of the reasons for this? What happens when you lose sight of Jesus as the anchor of your soul? During this coming week, reflect on ways that you can stay anchored to Jesus.

 

~Chuck Burkeen
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