Lisa notes

The Bible is full of scriptures about hope. We’ll look at several throughout this series on “Practicing Hope.” Get all the posts here.

Download this image [click here to get the instagram version] to help you remember to use hope as your anchor in this new week. Memorize it to more fully embed it into your heart.

Also, look around you this week to discover anchors in clothing, jewelry, tattoos, advertising, etc. Every time you see an anchor, thank God for being your hope, your anchor, in every storm. Read this for more on anchors as symbols of hope.

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Do you have any jewelry or clothes with an anchor? Please share your thoughts in the comments.

 

What are symbols we use for hope?

Every day in February we’ll look at a different activity for “Practicing Hope.” On Saturdays we’ll examine a different symbol that represents hope. And how we can use it to strengthen our hope.

The anchor is a very ancient symbol of hope because of its function. Normally made of metal and connected to a rope or chain, an anchor is what holds a ship in place by digging into the bed of the water under the ship. It prevents the ship from drifting, which would naturally occur due to wind or current.

A Christian believer’s hope, our anchor, is based on God’s faithfulness and goodness. His promise to take care of us won’t be broken. Regardless of the waves of life that beat against us, we have

“an unbreakable spiritual lifeline, reaching past all appearances right to the very presence of God” (Hebrews 6:19, Message).

The early Christians who were persecuted by the Romans drew anchors inside the catacombs, representing Christ as a symbol of safety. It’s said they also wore anchor jewelry or had anchor tattoos to identify themselves as Christians or to mark safe houses for those needing to escape from persecution.

In modern days we’ve often seen sailors and fishermen who have anchors tattooed on their forearms. Including the infamous Popeye.

As we sail through the remainder of the week, let’s put down our anchor to embed into the promises of God.

To Practice Hope

Envision a current storm in your life. Then connect a promise of God to help you stay the course. Anchor your hope there. Allow God’s faithfulness and goodness to hold you steady. (Find over 50 promises here.)

No matter how rough the storm, you won’t drown in it. 

One of my favorite promises is found in Isaiah 43:2-3:

“When you’re in over your head, I’ll be there with you. When you’re in rough waters, you will not go down. When you’re between a rock and a hard place, it won’t be a dead end—
Because I am GOD, your personal God, The Holy of Israel, your Savior. I paid a huge price for you.”

Also, find your own spiritual analogies to anchors here in this 1-minute video of different types of anchors.

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Find the whole series here on Practicing Hope.

 

Just try to keep your hopes up.

That’s what we often tell ourselves and others.

But is that enough?

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Index

1 – Hope Is a Verb. Practice It.
Don’t just try to keep your hopes up. Practice hope as a spiritual discipline.

2- The Anchor – A Symbol of Hope
Anchors are often used as symbols for hope. Why? And what anchors a Christian to hope?

3 – We Have an Anchor – Hebrews 6:19
The Bible is full of scriptures on hope. Download this image of Hebrews 6:19 about hope in Jesus as our anchor.

4 – 5 Links, Books, and Things I Love – Hope Edition
Links and pictures of articles, books, and things I love – February 2019

5 – When Hope Feels Dangerous
Our hope for the future isn’t defined by our past. Here’s why we should continue to practice hope, even when it feels dangerous.

6 – Hope for Far More {Scripture Image}
When you’re afraid to hope, remember this truth about God’s power. It’s far more than you can imagine. Download Ephesians 3:20 graphic.

7 – Hope in Politics – Is It a Choice? 5 Ways to Practice Hope
Politics can feel hopeless. But here are 5 ways to practice hope, even in politics. Make the choice.

8 – Choose from Hope, Not Fear
We can’t always choose our circumstances. But we can choose to respond from hope, not fear.

9 – Doves as Symbols of Hope to Start Again
When the dove brought back an olive leaf, he also brought back hope.

10 – May the God of Hope Fill You {Scripture Image}
The God of hope fills you with joy, with peace. Let hope overflow by his power. Romans 15:13.

11 – Hope Leads to Action
The more you hope, the more you’re likely to take action and succeed. Keep hoping. Keep moving.

12 – Hope, Not Just from Bad, But for Good
Hope isn’t just a desire to escape FROM something bad. It’s also FOR something good to look forward to.

13 – Even Death Is About Hope
“Connecting with the certainty of death is a critical step toward connecting with the certainty of hope.” Even death can be about hope.

14 – Hold Hope for One Person at a Time
When you can’t do the big things, do one thing. For one person at a time.

15 – Battling Between Fear and Hope? Stand on the Rock
When darkness tries to roll over your bones, don’t be shaken. Fear doesn’t stand a chance when you stand in Jesus’s love.

16 – Another Symbol of Hope – Complete and Unending
The Native American Indians used an 8-pointed star as a symbol of hope. Complete and unending.

17 – Never Give Up Hope?
“I will never give up hope or stop praising you.” (Psalm 71:14). David makes a bold claim. I’m not there yet.

18 – Presidents’ Day Hope
In honor of Presidents’ Day, here are three quotes on remaining hopeful.

19 – How Does the Bible Actually Work?
The Bible works not by giving us an answer key, but by showing us what God is like. He is our hope.

20 – God Is a Safe Place
Hope comes from somewhere. It always has a source. In God is the safest place to be. Psalm 62:5.

21 – 4 Ways to Express Your Hope
When you feel too cynical or things seem hopeless, that’s the best time to practice your hope. Here are 4 ways.

22 – Raise Your Hallelujah
When hopelessness tries to assert itself, raise your hallelujah higher than your doubts. It is one way you can practice having hope.

23 – Are You Like an Iris? There’s Hope
Resilient. Adaptable. Faithful. Do you have these traits? Like the iris, be a a symbol of hope.

24 – Another Way to Practice Hope – Recite Scripture to Yourself
One way I practice hope is by reciting scripture to myself about the Lord’s goodness. And what more beautiful passage than Lamentations 3 to recover any lagging hope?

25 – Opt for Hope – The Promises of God
See these promises of God. And opt for hope. God’s promises come from his character. And his character is Love.

26 – Get Your Hopes Up for Good Gifts Ahead
We can’t imagine the gifts God has planned for us or what time they will arrive. But we can know they will be good. Get your hopes up.

27 – 7 Books of Hope I Recommend
Here are books I recommend from what I finished reading this month.

28 – 4 Places to Look for Hope
It matters where you look for hope. It determines what you see. Here are four places to look.

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This post below is Day 1 . . . Hope Is a Verb.

Does Hope = Positive Thoughts?

I have a dear friend in the hospital right now. He’s fighting against an infection in his blood after having open heart surgery.

I’m trying to keep my hopes up.

But it feels inadequate.

Sometimes forcing ourselves to hope feels only like “the power of positive thinking.” A contrived Pollyanna mindset. A lesson from our children’s book, “I think I can! I think I can! I think I can!”

I’ve never been a big believer in dream board collages of vacation homes I’ll own. Or of visualizing myself crossing the finish line at the Olympics to turn me into a world-class runner. I don’t want to trick myself into believing if I think about it hard enough, it will happen.

Nor do I believe that if I claim a promise in the Bible, then it will automatically be mine. Not every promise is meant for me. My prayers about what is best rarely match up to God’s perfect thoughts about the full situation.

Hope Is a Noun

Granted, thinking positively does matter. God doesn’t want us to sink into our gloomiest thoughts and stay there.

But even as I pray for my friend’s healing, his strength, and God’s grace, I know that my hope muscles needs strengthening.

I want my hope to be genuinely based on truths about God’s goodness. About his faithful character. About his unending love.

I know who is Hope.

Hope is Jesus. He is Hope personified. He is the foundation of all hope.

Yet hope is more than a noun. 

And Hope Is a Verb

Hope is also a verb. Hope is something we can do. Something we can practice.

Even when hope feels unsafe, when it feels dangerous to expose our heart.

So this month I will do more than try to hope. I want to make a practice of hope.

Every day of February, I’ll share here about practicing hope, about acting on hope in real and tangible ways.

Just as physical exercise makes a difference in our physical health, so spiritual disciplines make a difference in our spiritual health. Not as a result of our strength. But from a deeper awareness and reality of the presence of God.

God can cause our hope to grow when we practice it. Our hope can become more steady, more reliable, more second-nature. And spread to others as well.

Hope Leads to Love

The apostle Paul said these three remain: faith, hope, and love (1 Corinthians 13:13).

But the greatest of these is . . . love. Not hope? No.

But if faith and hope contribute to building up love, then faith and hope are also worthy goals to pursue.

I will continue to pray that my friend will improve enough to leave ICU soon and return home to his wife (one of the Four Corners) by the end of this month.

And I will also hope. With faith. And for love, the greatest of all.

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Does hope come easily to you? How do you practice hope? Do you have a favorite scripture on hope? Please share in the comments.

Practice Hope with Me

If you want to practice hope, too, please join me here for 28 days in February. I appreciate hearing from you and learning from your wisdom. (And I’ll be looking at Hope all year; it’s my One Word for 2019).

Here are four ways to follow along. I also share ideas on Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram.

1. Sign up here for daily emails.
   Each post comes to your inbox.
2. Bookmark this page.
   This post will be the index.
3. Subscribe in a news reader.
   Feedly is my favorite for all the blogs I read.
4. Join me on Facebook.
   I’ll link the daily post on my LisaNotes FB page.

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