Hebrew 6:13-20

13When God made his promise to Abraham, since there was no one greater
for him to swear by, he swore by himself, 14saying, “I will surely bless you and
give you many descendants.” 15And so after waiting patiently, Abraham received
what was promised.
 16Men swear by someone greater than themselves, and the oath confirms what
is said and puts an end to all argument. 17Because God wanted to make the
unchanging nature of his purpose very clear to the heirs of what was promised,
he confirmed it with an oath. 18God did this so that, by two unchangeable things
in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled to take hold of the hope
offered to us may be greatly encouraged. 19We have this hope as an anchor
for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain,
20where Jesus, who went before us, has entered on our behalf. He has become
a high priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek.

MEDITATION
1. Slowly read the passage aloud twice, note the emphasis on “promises” and
“hope”.
2. Reflect on the role of hope in my life.  The opposites of hope are despair,
suspicion, doubt, and cynicism.  What does this passage tell me about hope?
3. Read the passage aloud one more time.  Among the phrases, such as “swear”,
“unchanging”, “take hold of the hope”, “firm” and “secure”, what words or
phrases stand out to me?  Why are they important for me today?
4. Walk through this day with an attitude of greater hope – expectancy,
anticipation and trust.  This is what everyday life in the kingdom of God looks
like.

Personal Note:
We need hope in everything.  Hope is defined as future certainty grounded in present reality.  Everything in this world is uncertain.  We may hope to enter into a good university.  We may hope to enter into a good career.  We may hope to find a soul mate.  We may hope to have good friends.  In reality, all those things are uncertain.

The only source of hope is from God.  Practically speaking, I am planning for the strategic direction of PGC English ministry.  At times, I fear and worry that I will fail as a leader.  My hope is in God's promise, God's character, God's power at work in the lives of the teenagers.  The culture and the circumstances are beyond what my human wisdom can handle, but I trust that through God's grace, I can love them and lead them.