In one of the most vivid illustrations of divine truth found in all of the Bible, the Book of Hebrews presents “hope” as the “anchor of the soul” (Hebrews 6:19). It is an anchor that is “sure and steadfast”; consequently, the Christian can count on it to lead him safely into “the Presence behind the veil.” What is “the Presence behind the veil”? It is an obvious reference to the presence of God, which was located in both the temple and tabernacle behind the veil that separated the holy place from the Holy of Holies. 

To properly understand this vivid illustration one needs to know that in biblical times anchors were used to help ships safely navigate through narrow entrances into small harbors. As a ship moved through the tricky and treacherous entrance to an ancient harbor, the ship’s captain had to guard against running his ship onto a reef or sandbar. In order to minimize the risk, the ship’s captain would drop the ship’s anchor into a smaller boat, which would then be rowed ahead of the ship through the narrow entrance into the harbor. Once in the harbor, the anchor was dropped in order to pull the ship past obstacles, through the narrow entrance, and safely into the safety of the harbor. 

As “the anchor of the soul,” hope enables us to safely navigate our way through many a narrow and treacherous situation. By pulling us toward the things of God and safely past the things of this world, hope keeps us from making shipwreck of our faith (1 Timothy 1:19). Furthermore, as “the anchor of the soul,” hope enables us to remain steadfast and immovable even in the most violent storms of life. Last, but certainly not least, hope, as “the anchor of the soul,” will finally lead us safely into the everlasting security of God’s eternal presence.

The calm soul is anchored by hope.