Getting Out of the Pit

“Do not let the floodwaters engulf me or the depths swallow me up or the pit close its mouth over me.” Psalm 69:15

Have you ever been in a pit? These aren’t valleys that accompany the normal ebb and flow of life; they’re the holes that we fall into that threaten to swallow us.

Our pits have names: loneliness, doubt, addiction, fear, past hurts, sorrow, sickness, insecurity, worry, envy, selfishness, anger and shame just to name a few.

Maybe you “visit” your pit from time to time. Perhaps you’ve spent so much time there it feels like home. Or maybe you’ve been blindsided by a traumatic event or illness and hurled into one. It makes no difference. When you’re a pit dweller, it’s dark, lonely and confusing there. Logic doesn’t prevail and hope is elusive. The problem isn’t getting in, it’s getting out.

From my experience, rarely (like never) does anyone jump in to join you. So, while you’re in there alone, you get busy. You paint the walls with self-pity. Carpet the floors with despair. And accessorize with anger. The pit may even start to feel comfortable…and maybe even deserved…so you stay.

Is this where God wants us to be? I think the answer is an emphatic NO!

But there is someone who celebrates when we’re downtrodden—Satan. Spiritual warfare is real. Forget about demon possession, as long as the enemy can keep our eyes OFF God and ON ourselves, our doubts and our problems, he’s won.

The Bible is filled with stories of pit dwellers. Moses was filled with doubt and felt completely unqualified to do what God called him to do. Sarah waited 25 years for the son God promised. Hannah struggled with sadness and shame because she was barren. Job lost everything. And David repeatedly cried out for the Lord to have mercy and deliver him.

We’re not alone in our troubles. And there seems to be no doubt that we will have them, but Jesus did not die for us to dwell in them. Satan condemns, but Jesus came to redeem us and set us free—“I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.” (John 10:10)

Is life abundant in the pit? Absolutely not! Fortunately there is hope.

I’ve learned that getting out of the pit is about letting go so that I can receive. It’s about choosing to listen to the Voice of Truth and not the lies of the enemy. It’s about trusting God that He will do what he promises. Because ultimately, it's about faith.

Are you in a pit? Cling to the words of King David, “I waited patiently for the Lord; he turned to me and heard my cry. 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.” Psalm 40:2

Cry out to Jesus, stretch out your hand and trust in Him. He has not forgotten you.