The Old Testament gives us the account of Abraham’s life. While the patriarch had a special relationship with God, his faith was not perfect. Over the years, he came to understand the importance of obedience—and how costly it can be to rebel.
Abraham learned the hard way that manipulating circumstances to gain a desired result can bring heartache. God had promised him and Sarah a child, but they were still waiting for that blessing when they were elderly. Already in her 70s, Sarah suggested that Abraham get an heir by having a child with her servant Hagar. The result was jealousy, family strife, and a bloody conflict that still rages today between the descendants of Hagar’s son Ishmael and Sarah’s son Isaac.
Obedience will bring the Lord’s best, but it requires waiting on Him. Abraham was already an old man when God promised him descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky (Gen. 15:5). This would not be fulfilled until he was 100 and Sarah was well past her child-bearing years, which meant that all the glory for Isaac’s miraculous conception and birth went to the Lord (Gen. 21:1-7). Jumping ahead of God had harsh, long-term consequences. But the good news is that the couple’s mistakes could not prevent Him from carrying out His plan.
The Lord has given us His Word so we might learn from the saints of old. The story of Abraham’s life teaches us that obedience is essential. When we place our trust in a sovereign God and wait upon His timing, He will always prove faithful.
Believers are born into a living hope, whereas people without Christ have no foundation for their expectations and desires. Many non-Christians live with a false sense of security. They assume that what is important in this life is the physical and material. But there is no safety in things (1 Tim. 6:9). Those who pursue wealth and health rather than God find that their dreams either go unfulfilled or fail to satisfy.
Christians anchor their hope in the solid rock of Jesus Christ. His words are always true and His promises are never broken. I’ll sometimes hear a person project his or her unfulfilled desires on God and then argue that He came up short. But believers who make a request and submit to God’s will always get an answer: yes, no, or wait.
The Lord does not disappoint those who seek His will. Don’t misunderstand that statement. We might feel temporarily let down when something we hope for is not in God’s plan. But He doesn’t go back on the biblical promise to give His children what’s best (Isa. 48:17; Isa. 64:4). When one door closes, there is another about to open with something better behind it. And remember, the Lord cannot be outdone. We can’t even wish ourselves as much good as God has in store.
The best choice a Christian can make is to fix his or her hope on the Lord Jesus Christ. Welcome whatever fits His will for your life, and turn away from all that does not. Circumstances may shift and change, but Jesus never does. He is a living hope who never disappoints.
An anchor was a popular image in the ancient Mediterranean world. Because that economy depended on shipping, the anchor came to symbolize safety and steadiness. The writer of Hebrews used the word to remind believers that God has given a hope that holds firm in any storm.
Hope is a healthy attitude. Anticipating good brings comfort to the mind and heart. In contrast, a state of hopelessness is a terrible condition in which to find oneself. It’s overwhelming and depressing to think that what you’re facing cannot be changed or resolved. For the person who has lost all hope, life looks like a long, dark tunnel going nowhere.
Included in Proverbs is a verse that describes the result of this oppressive feeling: “Hope deferred makes the heart sick” (Prov. 13:12). Emotional, physical, and even mental illness haunt a person who feels trapped in a bleak situation. But as long as there is a God, no situation is hopeless. In Him, we have the promise of the second half of that proverb: “Desire fulfilled is a tree of life.”
Believers have a hope that anchors their soul. Our relationship with Jesus Christ brings us close to the throne of heaven, where we can cast all our burdens before an omnipotent God. Moreover, we can cling to Him through any trial that comes our way. Because of the Lord’s great love, He provides strength for weary bodies, peace for anxious minds, and comfort for grieving hearts. In short, He lights that darkened tunnel and tenderly guides us through trying situations.
To help with my college expenses, I spent summers working in a textile mill. My assignment was in the bleachery, the hottest part of the complex. I did not like the work, the heat, or the tough boss, and for the first couple of weeks, my attitude reflected my unhappiness. The job wouldn’t change, I realized, but my way of thinking could. I decided to work as if the Lord was my boss, and that choice made all the difference.
The heat did not bother me anymore. The work became tolerable, and best of all, I had many opportunities to share my faith because fellow workers noticed I was different. When I returned the following summer, that harsh boss gave me a job without hesitation.
Treating our work like an extension of our service to the Lord changes our attitude. Pleasing Him motivates us to do our best and inevitably results in the believer’s contentment. A job may be challenging, frustrating, or boring, but we can be at peace instead of wallowing in negative emotions.
A servant heart can impact other employees as well. Service that is rendered with kindness, grace, and humility gets coworkers’ attention, which in turn opens up opportunities for ministry to the people with whom we spend hours each day.
Rewards for enthusiastic service on the job can take many forms—including greater personal satisfaction in our work and opportunities to reflect Christ to others. There is also the great joy of knowing that our Father is happy with our performance.
Slothfulness is an act of rebellion toward the Lord. He created us with a sense of purpose so that we would be productive. When we choose to be lazy, we are guilty of wastefulness because we have each received a special gift that is being squandered (1 Peter 4:10).
Lazy people live in a bubble of self-absorption. The only thing that matters to them is that they get what they want. This is in direct conflict with Scripture, which says we are to regard one another as more important than ourselves (Phil. 2:3). For instance, when we are deliberately slow on the job, we are not regarding our boss as important.
We are called to walk in discipline and service to God, and He is displeased if we approach work with a negligent attitude (Jer. 48:10). Whatever we do in life, God will reward us for doing it well. I bagged groceries and washed cars to make money for school. No matter what the task was, I always worked in the best way I knew how. That was something I learned from my mother, who worked 40 years in a textile mill and never complained.
People often make excuses for their laziness—they blame their home environment, poor self-esteem, or a negative attitude. But God does not accept our excuses. He gives us clear instructions for overcoming laziness: “Go to the ant, O sluggard; observe her ways and be wise” (Prov. 6:6). The ant works, prepares, and provides. In other words, we are to work with diligence in all that we do. Our personal responsibility to Jesus Christ is always to give our best effort.
