Be Brave in Hopelessness – Psalm 57: When David fled from Saul in a cave.

On March 10, 2020, my husband and I were leading a readers’ tour in Israel, and the COVID-19 pandemic burst our safe, oblivious-tourist bubble. Most of us had adopted the ostrich-head-in-the-sand approach and refused to listen to any news during our first five days. However, when we arrived at the Jordan River baptismal site, there could be no more avoidance. All but one or two workers were home sick with the awful virus. For the remaining nine days, our emotions spiked and plummeted and then cycled through every feeling in between. I was angry, afraid, and at one point felt entirely hopeless that we would make it back to the U.S. anytime soon.

• Can you remember a time when you felt hopeless? What was your emotional reaction? Fear? Anger? Giving up?

1 Samuel 24:1-3 tells us that after David saved the Judean city of Keilah from the Philistines, Keilah’s elders betrayed him and told King Saul that David and his men had fled to the Desert of En Gedi. Saul and his men pursued David to the En Gedi Oasis. Unbeknownst to Saul, the very cave in which he chose to relieve himself was where David and a contingent of his officers were hiding. There was no escape for David! His men suggested killing Saul, but David refused. He snipped off a corner of Saul’s kingly robe but was conscience-stricken. Then Saul left the cave! David was safe—or was he? What if Saul’s troops found David’s other men hiding in En Gedi’s caves? The circumstance was still hopeless until God did something big.

In Psalm 57:3, David mentions God’s steadfast love while he’s terrified. He mentions that same steadfast love in 57:10 after the hopelessness is gone! That’s what makes God’s love steadfast, right?

Wondering how our 2020 Israel trip turned out? When Israel closed its borders, we canceled our add-on tour of Petra in Jordan, and I feared they might close the Tel Aviv airport next. The next day, our last day of touring in Jerusalem was also canceled, which meant no City of David or Hezekiah’s Tunnel—the two places that were the main draw of that specific tour. But even though the walls of our “cave” were closing in, we recognized the hand of God working on our behalf in so many ways. On the last night before our flight out of Tel Aviv, the Minister of Travel actually visited our hotel and presented every person in our group a certificate, saying, “After all you’ve been through, the losses and inconveniences, your kindness has never dimmed. Israel thanks you.” The next morning, while our bus driver took us to the airport, he turned to my husband and said, “Do you realize you’re the last tour group in Israel? You’re lucky you’re getting out.” My husband was quick to remind him, “Oh, sir, it isn’t luck. We’re blessed.”

• In what ways have you experienced God’s steadfast love while feeling hopeless—and seen that steadfast love become the Source of your rescue?