A young man crouches in the mouth of a cave, fleeing for his life from someone who had previously taken him in and entrusted him with great responsibilities. He had left everyone he had known and loved and was forced to move from town to town for fear of retribution from his own King (1 Samuel 19-22). He was utterly alone.

At this point in his life, David had done nothing deserving of this betrayal. All throughout the Psalms, we have accounts of David pouring out his heart to the Lord through his various circumstances (Psalm 34, 56, 59), and this time is no different. One of the many Psalms written during this time period of David’s life is Psalm 13, and he does not shy away from crying out to God over his despair concerning Saul’s unjust pursuit.

“How long, Lord? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me? How long must I wrestle with my thoughts and day after day have sorrow in my heart? How long will my enemy triumph over me?” (Psalm 13:1-3)

David admits that he even feels forgotten by God. Although we know this is not true, how many times do we, even subconsciously, feel the same?

Just last year, my best friend and teammate—someone who I could share everything with and feel completely safe—moved back to the States. That same year, my chronic migraines worsened, another teammate was killed in a motorbike accident, and our ongoing international adoption took a turn for the worse. I, too, felt lost. Lonely. Abandoned.

But the beauty of David’s cries is that he almost always brings himself back to truth. He ends Psalm 13 with this resolute confession despite his isolation and feelings: “But I trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation. I will sing the Lord’s praise, for he has been good to me.”

The good news is that God says we are never alone (Deuteronomy 31:6) and nothing can separate us from the love of Christ (Romans 8:35-39). Living and serving internationally often heightens our isolation and loneliness, but may we remind ourselves day after day after day, “Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand” (Isaiah 41:10).