In his critically acclaimed book, Man’s Search for Meaning, psychiatrist Victor Frankl recounts his time in Auschwitz’s concentration camp and being tortured by the Nazis. Frankl tells how several variables determined who survived and who didn’t, but for those who remained well enough to perform manual labor in the camp, the one defining characteristic of survivors was that they were able to maintain a degree of hope. Without hope—human beings give up. Frankl recalls how the hope of being reunited with his wife and practicing medicine again kept him going during his darkest days. Against all odds, Frankl survived Auschwitz. After the war, Frankl learned that his wife died in the Bergen Belsen concentration camp, but he did go on to practice medicine and write more than 35 books.
Frankl’s remarkable story begs the question; “How do we maintain hope when there’s no visible reason to feel hopeful?”
If you read the Psalms, you’ll notice that King David was no stranger to situations that seemed hopeless. And yet, one of the remarkable things about King David was that he never lost hope, and as a result, King David saw things come to pass that couldn’t be explained apart from the hand of God. David’s prayer in Psalm 143 has plenty to teach us about maintaining hope when things look hopeless. If you read through Psalm 143 in its entirety, you’ll notice at least three things about David’s prayer.
- David was honest. One of the refreshing that about King David is that he never sugarcoated anything. He described himself this way: “My spirit is weak within me; my heart is overcome with dismay” (Psa. 143:4). When things are bad, there’s a temptation to downplay the severity of our situation and put our game face on. But to maintain hope, we need to recognize the situation for what it is and not attempt to minimize it but rather look at it through the lens of God’s power.
- David recalled his history with God. David wrote, “I remember the days of old; I meditate on all you have done; I reflect on the work of your hands” (Psa. 143:5). The key words here are “remember, meditate, and reflect.” David spent time contemplating how God had come through for him in the past and thought deeply about God’s faithfulness. When things seem hopeless, we need to manage our thought life with intentionality. Once we lose hope, it’s difficult to get it back. But if we will redirect our thoughts to how God has been faithful in the past, it will fuel our faith that God will be faithful in our current situation.
- David asked for specific things and expressed his trust. David asked for numerous things from God. He asked for guidance (v.8), rescue, and protection (v. 9) to be taught God’s will and led by the Spirit (v. 10) for his life to be spared and his enemies destroyed (v. 11-12). Notably, David prayed, “Let me experience your faithful love in the morning for I trust in you” (Psa. 143:8).
At any given time, there are countless things beyond our control. But we can always choose how we respond to what is happening around us—we can choose hope. Remember that biblical hope isn’t passive in the sense that you “hope it doesn’t rain on vacation.” Biblical hope is active. To choose hope means to view your circumstances with the expectation that God will do as He has promised.
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