HOPE IN THE TRENCHES

"Why are you in despair, O my soul?

 And why have you become disturbed within me?

Hope in God, for I shall again praise Him

for the help of His presence."

Psalm 42:5 (NASB)

 









Hope in a trench.

Trenches.

Deeper than the valley.

Dark.

Desolate.

Dangerous.

The majority of us will never find ourselves in a trench.

But some of us will.

The word "trenches" brings to mind pictures of war fields, soldiers in harm's way, hunkered down in ditches, ducking from artillery fire while watching for enemy explosive devices that might find their mark. Sweat drips down sooty faces, a bitter taste on parched lips. The Question−"Will I make it out alive?"−swirls in their minds like the stinging smoke in their weary eyes.  

Too many souls have personally experienced the trenches of war. To countless men and women, we say, "Thank you for your service." To the memorialized, if we could, we would say, "Thank you for your sacrifice."

Most of us, however, have not suffered in the trenches of war. But there are other trenches where a number of us have found ourselves.

Persecution. Threatened because we profess Christ as Lord and Savior. In some nations the threat goes beyond words, and some of our brethren suffer torture while others succumb to physical death.

Abuse. Spousal and child abuse are part of everyday life in more homes than we can fathom. Sexual abuse−whether committed by family, friends, or strangers−sickens us.

Addiction: Christians are not immune to the devastating effects of drug, alcohol, and sexual addiction. In addition to the ongoing struggle to break free from its claws, addicts often finds their marriages, relationships and testimonies remain in jeopardy.

Might hopelessness snuff out the soul,

smother the hearts of those in the trenches?

 

God is our very present help.

It could. It would, if not for God. But God lives in the trenches. He is a very present help in the heat of battle, the despair of abuse, and the entrapments of addiction, dispensing hope like He spread manna and rained quail upon the Israelites in the desert.

He is a shout, a whisper, a heart-prayer away from calming a petrified soul with the balm of hope.

Sound too simple?

Consider a few saints whose testimonies of God's faithful presence saturate us with hope:

• David, fled from Saul, hiding in caves, in danger of capture and death.

• Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego were bound and tossed into a blazing fire.

• Daniel was thrown into the lions' den.

Trapped in danger zones, these courageous men called upon God. He fueled them with hope. Ultimately, He delivered them from peril.



Our Balm of Hope



 

"I have set the Lord continually before me;

Because He is at my right hand,

I will not be shaken."

Psalm 16:8 (NASB)

 

 

 

 

"...He is at my right hand."

Where we are, He is. And where He is, there is hope.

Holy Father, hear the cries of our hearts for Your children who are suffering in the trenches. If we be one who is experiencing a fiery furnace or the strangling hands of an enemy, help us to call upon Your Name for an infusion of hope while we rest in You and watch for Your avenue of escape. If we are not among those in the trenches, we ask You, God of Grace and Mercy, to drench with hope those who live in danger zones, and to set a hedge of protection around them until freedom comes. Amen.

Further Reading:

• I Samuel 18:6-9, 28-29; 19:1

• Daniel 3:10-20

• Daniel 6:12-24