Hopelessness & Hope - Psalm 16:9
February 13
Hopelessness & Hope - Psalm 16:9 (KJV)
“Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoices; my flesh also shall rest in hope.”
Let’s face it. I have lived a pretty difficult life. Drugs, abuse, suicide. I never knew much about hope. Then, Jesus came into my life and changed everything. Now, I want to share that hope with others!
God gave me the opportunity to serve in Eagle Butte, South Dakota last July on the Cheyenne River Reservation. I saw the devastation of hopelessness, and the impact it can have on a community. I could see the hopelessness on some of the adult faces, as well as the precious little children’s faces. We heard from some of the local adults that some of these kids go without eating and proper care for lengths of time, as do some of the elders. Not only are their physical needs in desperate despair, but so are their spiritual needs. It broke my heart to learn of the many suicides that were happening among the teens.
When my work was done, I went back home, taking a part of their pain with me.
The leader of our mission group team, Debbie Wills, stayed another week after I left. She was invited to go to a community meeting to discuss the suicide issue that had been plaguing the community. Debbie heard a Lakota Women say, “How can we know what hope is when we don’t know what it is?” These are the very words that express what I noticed on the faces of the people in this community.
This hope was foretold in the Old Testament. This hope was illuminated in the darkness of that night in the garden before Jesus was crucified. This hope was ultimately realized in the resurrection, and, because of Jesus’ death and resurrection, this is the hope we have in eternal life.
Dear Heavenly Father,
I pray that this hope will be preached to this community with clarity and with power. I thank You that You brought me into this hope through Jesus Christ. I pray for our staff at LIM that God will also sustain us, so we can take this hope to other Native Americans.
In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Bob Prue (Lakota Rosebud Sioux) - Oneida, Wisconsin