The psalmist David wrote a loud, noisy song of thanksgiving and praise to God for his deliverance from Saul, “I keep the Lord always before me;  because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved. Therefore my heart is glad, and my soul rejoices; my body also dwells secure (Psalm 16:8-9 RSV).

   Centuries later, the same verse attributed to David is quoted by the Apostle Paul to make a point about the Messiah, “I saw the Lord always before me, for he is at my right hand so that I will not be shaken;  therefore my heart was glad, and my tongue rejoiced; moreover, my flesh will live in hope” (Acts 2:25-26).

   This verse finds a different voice in The Message, “I saw God before me for all time. Nothing can shake me; he’s right by my side. I’m glad from the inside out, ecstatic; I’ve pitched my tent in the land of hope” (Acts 2:25-26 MSG). What is the land of hope? Where is the land of hope? How do we pitch our tent in the land of hope when we grieve the death of one we love?

   I went to a big box store one weekend to get a cooler for a road trip. Though I did not find exactly what I was looking for, the search took me through the department for camping gear. I am not a camper but was dazzled by the array of equipment, accessories, and gadgets displayed to make pitching a tent look like fun. A recent newspaper article reported a sharp increase in the number of people who go camping on vacation. I wondered about their destination—the land of hope?

   When we grieve, our journey takes us on an expedition through terrain carved from the emotional landscape of our life. We have no idea where we are going or what lies ahead. Before our journey is complete, we encounter rocky hills and valleys, mountains and plateaus, oases and deserts.

   On the journey of grief we trust in God and camp where we are. When we arrive at the end of the journey, just ahead there is a campground where we pitch our tent in the land of hope, “Why are you in despair, O my soul, and why are you disturbed within me? Hope in God, for I shall again praise Him, the help of my countenance, my God” (Psalm 42:5 NIV).

   In the land of hope we claim God’s promise for our life, “‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future’” (Jeremiah 29:11 NIV).

Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what is seen? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.
Romans 8:24-25