Lifted from Despair

He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand. He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear and put their trust in the LORD. Psalm 40:2-3

When I was growing up I lived in the country. Our house was located on the end of a long dirt driveway that became a mud hole in the spring. We’d end up parking our car at the end of the driveway and trudging through the mud to get home. Good boots were a requirement! Even so, there were times when we’d walk through a spot where the mud was especially deep. If you stepped on that spot it was almost as if is sucked your foot into the ground and refused to let go. As young children we would, at times need to call for help to get out of that oozing mess!

In Psalm 42 David talks about being in a slimy pit. He is helpless and hopeless to get out. The walls of his prison are steep and slimy so that whenever he tries to climb out he slides back down into the mass of slime on the bottom there is no way out. There is no hope.

But God came to his rescue. God lifted him from the slime and place him on solid ground, on a rock that would never waver, never fail him. David was able to raise above all that tried to keep him trapped. His God given ability to rise above the despair caused others to take notice and to put their faith in God.

There are many reasons we can feel like we are trapped in a pit of mud and slime. Sometimes our own sin fills us with such guilt and shame we don’t feel we can go on. It could be that we are in an abusive relationship and see no way out. Finances, illness, broken relationships, unemployment or underemployment all add to our sense of despair. But Jesus came to help you out of the pit. He sees your struggle and wants to help you onto the solid ground of faith in him. He alone can help you rise about the struggles, the shame, the guilt, and the failures of your life.

Each of us kids were so glad to get through the muddy spots of our driveway! At the end of that muck was dry ground and safety. Today, Jesus reaches out to you and invites you to let Him pull you out of the despair in your life. Ask Him to place you on solid ground so that you can have a new song to sing to those who need to hear the good news of Jesus.

PRAYER: Dear Jesus, I thank you for your love and forgiveness. Today I feel like I’m sinking fast in this pit of mud and slime. The walls seem impossible to scale. I ask that you would forgive me for my part in getting into this mess. Help me to listen to you and not my accusers. Place in me the new song you promised me so others can know your deliverance and love. Amen.