In my original post I wrote about the anecdote for disappointment being hope.

“Hope expects a better outcome next time,” I wrote. “Hope sees the smallest flicker of light, even in the dark. Hope speaks positively, even if negative emotions are still being worked through. Hope seeks what is known and good. Hope remembers that nothing is ever certain, but nothing is ever hopeless. Hope is the legs upon which faith can stand!“

You can see the birds have now turned up at my bird feeder! These white cockatoos come in for a feed regularly now that word has got out among the bird community! Having no birds turn up for a while was a trivial disappointment, and I didn’t have to wait too long for the hoped for result.

But what happens when hope is deferred? What happens when there’s a long wait, or even no guaranteed outcome that a hope will ever be fulfilled this side of heaven?

The proverb above states it can make the heart sick, but a desire fulfilled is like a tree of life.

So it seems reasonable to ask how long does one hold onto hope for?

This is a very real dilemma for people I personally know facing tough situations right now, and I’m sure you have people come to mind too. How do we encourage them to keep hope alive?

There are indeed tragic circumstances which we as humans sometimes face. The list of possible circumstances is endless, and yet God calls us to a hope that transcends whatever we face in this world.

So when God wanted to prove for certain that his promise to his people could not be broken, he made a vow. God cannot tell lies! And so his promises and vows are two things that can never be changed. We have run to God for safety. Now his promises should greatly encourage us to take hold of the hope that is right in front of us. This hope is like a firm and steady anchor for our souls. In fact, hope reaches behind the curtain and into the most holy place. Jesus has gone there ahead of us, and he is our high priest forever, just like Melchizedek.

Hebrews 6:17-20 (CEV)

Hope is a firm and steady anchor for our souls.

According to the nautical dictionary an anchor fixes a vessel in a certain position and keeps it from drifting away during strong currents or winds. This scripture tells us we can take hold of the hope that is available in Jesus!

I don’t know about you, but I desire to be so “fixed” in position with Jesus that no storms or winds or currents will cause me to drift away from the hope found in Him! And yet at the times when I do start to drift, His grace and mercy always pulls me back. He is indeed a strong anchor!

So, “how long does one hold onto hope for?“

As long as we have breath.

There is always hope.

Because there is always Jesus.

Hope is an anchor for our souls because Jesus is the great High Priest who sits at the right hand of the Father in heaven and constantly intercedes for us.

When disappointment, trial or circumstances are so huge that we feel there is no hope, Jesus is our hope personified. He suffered, He died, and He rose from the grave. He is the Resurrection and the Life!

Because He lives, we can face tomorrow!

Let hope be your anchor today.