The Land of the Living
On the front lines of the war in Ukraine, familiar Scriptures become more than just words. They are lifelines.
For years, I felt drawn to Psalm 27, though I didn’t fully know why. Now I do. David wrote Psalm 27 in the midst of intense battles and personal attacks. Amazingly, he sounds confident, even as an army actively hunts him down and a war rages against him. The Psalm opens:
“The LORD is my light and my salvation—whom shall I fear?
The LORD is the stronghold of my life—of whom shall I be afraid?”
Our Frontline Hope ministry began with a simple idea: serve soldiers where they are. Working with Ukrainian chaplains, we wanted to bring spiritual renewal through the Gospel of Jesus.
The Ministry Team consisted of Retired and active military chaplains and 8 massage therapists. On this outreach, we ministered to 172 soldiers.
On the front lines, the air felt heavy, and danger was always near. Many soldiers serve for months without a real break. Chaplains told us that the great majority will be wounded or killed, and most marriages will not survive without intervention. These men are fathers, husbands, sons, brothers, and friends longing for hope, peace, and home.
We started by bringing massage therapists to help ease the soldiers’ tension and trauma. This opened the door for us to visit, listen, share, and pray with them. When I asked what they missed most, nearly all said, “Home.” One soldier showed me a picture of his son, four when he left for war, now his son is eight. They only see each other two weeks a year.
The realities these soldiers carry are difficult to hear, and much of what they shared I cannot repeat. Their stories are heartbreaking and tragic. In all my years of ministry, I have never encountered trauma on this level.
Yet, almost all of them wanted to hear the Gospel, have someone pray with them, and most received Jesus into their lives.
G.K. Chesterton once said,
“The true soldier fights not because he hates what is in front of him, but because he loves what is behind him.”
That quote from Chesterton became real to me. Especially when the soldiers shared about their lost friends, homes, and communities, which were destroyed by the war. It also explained to me how these soldiers, and each of us, must keep going under impossible conditions.
Every soldier was amazed and so grateful that I came. More than once, soldiers asked me, “Why are you here?” I told them, “I came to stand with you and remind you that God loves you, sees you, and will never leave you.”
But the more they asked, the more I sensed the Lord asking me the same question: “Darrell, why are you here? And why am I here?”
In that moment, I sensed the Spirit of God reminding me of the heart of Jesus:
“I have come to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives, to comfort those who mourn, to provide for those who grieve, and to give beauty instead of ashes.”
While ministering there, I saw the war around me, but I also saw a reflection of the war within me.
We all have front lines. They may not include drones and missiles, but they include regret, loss, grief, fear, and battles that try to destroy hope.
These battles create destructive thoughts of regret, loss, and unbearable grief that buzz in our heads like unrelenting drones, searching for a part of you to destroy. In war and in life, it can be hard to find goodness, hope, mercy, and love.
In these moments, Psalm 27 becomes tangible.
David wrote, “I would have lost heart unless I believed I’d see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.” There are times in our personal battles when all we have left is a lament of faith, saying, Abba, if I did not believe You are still good, I would not make it through this. David embraced the reality of Abba’s goodness and the promise of experiencing it. Not someday in heaven, but now, here:
In this pain
In this place
In the land of the living
I plan to go to Ukraine again in August. The military has asked the team to host two-week spiritual renewal gatherings for soldiers and special conferences for their families at our Church’s Hope Center. This is the perfect place for such a divine opportunity.
These times will offer rest, therapy, prayer, worship, teaching, and the hope of the gospel to hundreds of individuals in desperate need of God's love. We are humbled by the opportunity God has given us, and we need your help.
Your prayers and financial support are making a difference.
Your gift will help complete the Hope Center and provide chaplain care, trauma counseling, and hope for Ukrainian soldiers and their families. You can support us with a one-time or monthly gift online, or by mailing a donation to our ministry office.
Christ is a light in the darkness. He seeks the brokenhearted. He will bring beauty out of these ashes. Oh, Jesus, please bring beauty from these ashes and the goodness of God into the land of the living.
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