Hope
‘Set me free from my prison, that I may praise your name. Then the righteous will gather about me because of your goodness to me.’ (Psalm 142:7)
Let’s look one more time at the last verse of Psalm 142, which is a wonderful statement of hope. Remember that this was possibly the time when, having snipped the corner of Saul’s robe, that David stepped boldly out into the sunlight to face his tormentor and accuser. What was it that compelled him to take such a step? With a single command, Saul could have signalled David’s execution. Did David just want to stop being a fugitive, or was he also concerned for Saul and hoping against hope to make Saul see that he was not a threat to him?
Surely part of the answer is that David was hopeful – he expected to stay in the land of the living; he frequently speaks of a time when disaster will be something in the past. Though at times he wallowed in deep despair, hope was never finally lost.
Hope matters. When hope dies, the will to work hard at our relationships erodes. When disappointment and cynicism settle into our hearts and we dwell on, for example, the challenges of being part of church, with all of its beauty and ugliness, then hope is stifled and we’re tempted to drop out of fellowship. When hope for personal change is gone and we feel imprisoned by our own failures, then we stop trying, figuring that there’s no point in making the effort if we are just destined to stumble. Hope, holiness and faithfulness are connected – ‘for the joy set before him’, Jesus endured the cross (Hebrews 12:2).
I don’t have a surefire slogan for you, if there’s an area of your life where you have lost hope. But know this: I’m asking God to rekindle authentic hope in your heart once more today.