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| Image from Pixabay |
Have you ever
fallen head-first into The Pit, that
very real and dark place where one sinks in the mire of hopelessness and
despair? It can be easy to slip into The Pit, but never so easy, if not impossible, to get out without help. Perhaps we find ourselves there because of our own choices, disobedience, or unforgiveness...and
we slide in slowly, not realizing we were sinking in quicksand until it’s too
late.
Whatever the reason we find ourselves in a pit, it's here where
our identities are stolen and we believe every lie the enemy tells us about ourselves. When a person has been stripped of the awareness
that he or she is the child of a living and forgiving Father, they tend to
recoil from anyone trying to lead them back to God.
There are times when the choices we’ve made are so bad and
the lies we believe are so great that we feel unworthy to call out to Him, no
matter how willing He is to forgive us, and it’s easier to stay in the pit than
fight to get out.
It is here where God’s love is intrusive. If we walk away from Him, He comes after us
and rejoices greatly when we return to Him (Matthew 18:12-14). God said, "Behold, I Myself will search
for My sheep and seek them out.” (Ezekiel 34:11)
His hand
is already outstretched and ready to bring us up from this horrible pit, out of
the miry clay; He wants to set our feet upon a rock and establish our steps
(Psalm 40:2). When we ignore His hand,
He comes closer, intruding on those lies we have believed, calling us until we
stop wallowing and start listening. He
is patiently and jealously waiting to forgive us when we’ve finally had enough of pit-living, and are sick and tired of repeating the bad choices that got us there.
All we need is faith
as small as a mustard seed that God will meet us right where we are…to believe
anything else would be one more lie. Remaining in the pit one more day
is your choice. But Jesus died to set
you free, and His blood is intrusive.
If I make my
bed in hell, behold, You are there.
If I take the wings of the morning,
And dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea,
Even there Your hand shall lead me,
And Your right hand shall hold me.
If I say, “Surely the darkness shall fall on me,”
Even the night shall be light about me;
Indeed, the darkness shall not hide from You,
But the night shines as the day;
The darkness and the light are both alike to You.
Psalm 139:8-12
Indeed, Jesus is the only one that can get us out of the pit and keep us out of it. We just have to keep our eyes focused on him and don't believe the lies of our flesh, the enemy, and the world.
ReplyDeletebetty
Interesting. Love that Ezekiel 34:11 quote.
ReplyDelete