One Word: Hope

This was it. He had gone too far this time. There was no coming back from it. He felt worthless. Alone. Hopeless. After three combat tours, after two divorces, after all of the years of alcohol abuse, and after one more mistake. Overcome with his emotions and guided by despair, he knew what was next.

He drove out into the wilderness with just his thoughts and his firearm. He knew the spot where he was going to do it, he had been there before, and he was sure this time. It was all too much and he was convinced that this was the only answer. He had it all mapped out and there was nothing that was going to stop him.

As he drew near, he was locked, loaded, and ready. He had decided that he was going to take his own life, but then something happened. One word was laid on his heart. One simple word that is used in the English language every day, but it was the most powerful word that this veteran could hear in that moment: hope.

Hope stopped him in his tracks. He paused to consider what it meant. He thought about his future and what it could be with a renewed faith. Because of this idea of hope, he turned around, drove away, and decided to live for another day. He continued to think about what “hope” meant for him and why that single word was spoken to his heart that day. After all, it wasn’t just the word, but what it meant in that moment, and essentially, who said it to him.

When this veteran shared his story with me, he was convinced that it was God who saved him that day. Yes, he still struggles, yes, he is still healing, but now God has his heart. As he explained it, he said that he is finally drawing closer to Jesus, and his heart is finally on a journey to find spiritual healing.

Maybe your story is similar. Maybe you’re in it right now. Maybe you feel hopeless. Just maybe, you are desperately crying out for one word, one sign…or anything to help you feel whole. You are not alone. King David has been there. Job has been there. Paul has been there. Like you, many of us who have experienced combat have been there.

Brothers and sisters, please know that you are not too far gone. You are not too broken. You are not worthless. I know, what I am writing doesn’t match what you’re feeling, but that doesn’t mean that it is not true. How do I know? Scripture is clear about our worth and place before God. It states that God’s love is as far as the heavens are from the earth (Psalm 103:11). That means that there is no limit to his love. And the things that you have done wrong? Your mistakes? Well, Jesus took care of that as well, and he has removed them as far as possible from you (Psalm 103:12). So now, there is no condemnation for those who put their trust in Jesus (Romans 8:1) and there is also no place that God’s love can’t reach (Romans 8:39).

At the end of the day, no matter what you have done or no matter what you have faced, you are a son or daughter of God. Just as it was shared with me by a fellow veteran, you can find hope in the most hopeless of circumstances.

-Matt