Hold Onto Hope: God Does His Best Work in Caves

Many years ago, I went caving with Sailor-Man and our youngest daughter. Two words describe my first impression of the cave itself: Cold. Dark.

I don’t want to hang out here, I thought. The space felt confined and damp. I imagined becoming lodged forever in a tight space. A scared, little voice inside urged me to return to the sunshine, but another little voice argued that doing so would spoil our family adventure. What to do?

Life itself can sometimes feel like that cave—cold and dark. Disappointments come. Hurts happen. Tragedy strikes. We’re left wondering what hit us and when the light will shine again. 

Perhaps you’re in a cave-like space right now. If so, I want to encourage you today: Hold onto hope because God does His best work there.

The cave appears hopeless

The thought of God doing His best work in a cave was a foreign concept to Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea. (John 19:38-20:9) On the day Jesus died, the two grieving men removed His body from the cross and, according to Jewish tradition, wrapped it in long, wide strips of linen. Within those linen strips, they placed approximately seventy-five pounds of spices made from liquified myrrh and aloes.

One theologian explains that the ointment would eventually dry along the curvature of Jesus’ body, causing the linen to harden and form a protective cocoon around it. No one would be able to pull the body from this casing apart from cutting it open and laying it flat.

As Joseph and Nicodemus placed Jesus’ body in a cave, they may have wondered what would become of His followers now. Jesus had declared Himself as the promised Messiah, the hope of the nations, the light of the world. They’d believed Him and clung to His teachings. But His crucifixion changed everything.

Death extinguished the light. The Messiah gave up His spirit, and hope died. Their future looked as dark as the cave holding the body of the One they loved and trusted.

The disciples experienced God’s power in the cave

On the third day after Jesus’ burial, the disciples visited the cave and found it empty. Only His grave linens remained. 

He [a disciple] stooped and looked in and saw the linen wrappings lying there, but he didn’t go in. Then Simon Peter arrived and went inside. He also noticed the linen wrappings lying there, while the cloth that had covered Jesus’ head was folded up and lying apart from the other wrappings. (John 20:5-7)

Do you see the words “lying there?” In the original Greek language, those words infer that the linens were “lying precisely as when the body was in them.” 

The long strips of cloth were in exactly the same position and shape as they were when they held Jesus’ body, only now His body was gone. This was a human impossibility. 

And as for the cloth that had covered Jesus’ head? Well, according to Jewish culture, a household servant would serve his master a meal and then wait out of sight until the master stopped eating.

If the master then crumpled or tossed his napkin, the servant took this to mean he was finished with the meal and would clean up the table. If the master folded the napkin, this signified that he was not yet finished. He might leave the table, but he would soon return.

Seeing Jesus’ grave linens lying there in perfect form alongside the folded napkin communicated to the disciples that Jesus was alive. The cave had appeared hopeless, but everything changed in that moment. 

The disciples believed in Jesus’ resurrection, and their lives were transformed. The same power that raised Christ from the dead changed them from ordinary to extraordinary. (Ephesians 1:19-20) They became bold and passionate preachers willing to die for their faith.

We experience God’s power and beauty in the cave

Sooner or later, we all end up in a cold, dark cave, so to speak. We might feel like we’ve reached the end, but nothing’s further from the truth. 

When I took the caving adventure with Sailor-Man and our daughter, the thought of descending into the depths nearly scared me silly.

The little voice telling me to run for the sun almost won, but I chose to listen to the second voice instead. I strapped on a helmet and headlamp, zipped up my jacket for warmth, and belly-crawled into the dark.

I’m first to admit I didn’t do this in my own strength and courage; I had none from which to draw. I was able to do this only by God’s power. He gave me the courage and strength I needed to keep going. 

None of us want to land in a cave. Ever. When we do, we pray for God to rescue us asap. But the truth is, life’s caves become classrooms where we learn deep spiritual truths. Let’s not fear them or view them as places to avoid at all costs. Let’s view them as places to experience God in rich, unique ways. 

I’m glad I didn’t run away that day because the darkness eventually opened into a space with walls that glittered like twinkling stars set against the night sky. The cave held a beauty I would never have experienced had I not been willing to go there.

The disciples discovered beauty in the cave, too. Jesus’ grave clothes lay there undisturbed, minus His body. Darkness gave way to light. Death gave way to life. Despair gave way to hope.  

God does His best work in caves

When you land in a cave, remind yourself that Jesus has gone before You. He’s already there. He knows this place can feel lonely, scary, void of light and hope. But He also knows the cave is not your final destination.

The cave could not hold Jesus. Neither can it hold you. Do not fear it, but consider it a place to experience God’s beauty and resurrection power. (Ephesians 1:19-20) 

Hang onto hope, my friend. God does His best work in the cave. You’re there for a purpose—a rich, glorious purpose indeed. You’re in a hard place, but it’s the best place to see God do His best work. 

Enjoy “Redeemer” by Nicole C. Mullen