Flee to Hope
“…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 our lives, safe 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 in the order of Melchizedek.”
Hebrews 6:18b-20 HCSB
Photography by Guille Pozzi, unsplash photos.
Do you feel under the oppression of worry and strife in your life? Have you ever wanted to run home for safety, but as it turns out, home has become the source of tremulous frustration? I have a friend whose go-to response to strife is to flee! She wants to run for the hills. Without a clear plan, her sneakers are laced and ready to run like Forest Gump. She can feel the chant in her soul, “Run Forest. Run!”
If this is you, I encourage you to see things a little differently. Instead of fleeing from your troubles, flee from the tempting thoughts of the enemy that steal your hope. Flea from the dialogue in your head that recites the negativity, bitterness, and offenses that breed hopelessness. Flea from stinkin’ thinkin’.
My friend’s motive is to run because she has lost hope. God’s word tells us that those of us who have fled for refuge should seize hope because it’s the anchor in our lives. We can find safety and security when we rely on our high priest, Jesus, instead of our own control or the speed of our feet.
Of course, some situations necessitate distancing yourself physically from someone or someplace in a speedy way. However, today, I’m encouraging you to stay put physically. Stay, even though there may be worry and strife. Instead, I urge you to mentally flee from the destructive thoughts that tempt you away from your home or family to escape trials. Flea to the refuge of Jesus and seize the hope that will anchor you in the storm. It requires a great deal of faith to trust that God has got you, even when the ground is shaking. I promise you, there is nothing so out of control that He can’t provide refuge.
My prayer for you and my friend today: Dear Lord, help them to flee from unhealthy thoughts and the temptation to dwell on worries or recite negativity. Help their minds and hearts to flee to you for refuge and encouragement as they aggressively seize the hope you have set before them. May this hope be an anchor during the quaking and storm they are currently in. Jesus is their hope, and I ask for a heaping dose of faith for them. So that they can cling to the robe of the high priest Jesus, who entered the holy of holies on their behalf. He came so that they may have life and have it in abundance. If the abundance must come through trials, please give them the faith and endurance to remain. I make these important requests in Jesus’ holy name. Amen!