Climbing Out of the Pit, Part 3

By: Mary Southerland (my answers below -scroll down to very bottom)

Today’s Truth
“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. Many will see and fear and put their trust in the LORD.” Psalm 40:2-3 (NIV)

Friend To Friend
At some point in life, we all will find ourselves in some kind of pit, the darkness settling around us like a paralyzing blanket of hopelessness.  That deep, dark pit may have many names, but easily becomes a prison from which escape seems impossible.  The journey out is a process of steps uniquely planned by your Father.  He is the Guide for this step-by-step journey.

Step One:      Wait for God.
Step Two:      Cry out for help.
Step Three:   Count on God.

In this world, there are few certainties.  God is one.  His promises are true and we can wholly trust Him to keep His Word, to do exactly what He promises to do.  In the key passage today, we find an impressive set of promises.  God promises to free us — direct us — restore us — give us joy and invites us to join Him in Kingdom work.  Wow!  That is quite an impressive “to do list” when you are sitting at the bottom of an ugly pit, with the shattered pieces of your life scattered around you.  But God’s ways are not our ways.

In Romans 11:33, Paul writes “Oh, what a wonderful God we have! How great are his riches, wisdom, and knowledge. How impossible it is for us to understand his decisions and his methods.” (NIV)

God is drawn to brokenness.  What an amazing truth, that He turns first to the broken.  Psalm 40:1 says “He turned to me.”  Notice it does not say that David, the author, turned to God.  I don’t think that David could turn to God!  Knowing the desire of David’s heart and understanding his weakness, God heard his cry and turned to David just like God will hear your cry and turn to you!

During the darkest hours, I questioned God continually.  I flung my anger at Him like a spear.  My heart and soul were filled with fear and confusion instead of faith and trust.  Yet, He never turned away from me.  He knew every tear that I cried.  Out of those tears and brokenness has come the most effective and powerful chapter of my life!  I am convinced that the more we are broken, the more we are used.  You can count on God.  You can credit His grace to your account!

Mercy is when we don’t get what we deserve.

Justice is when we get what we do deserve.

Grace is when we get what we do not deserve.

We are trophies of God’s grace and we can count on Him.

Step Four:  Be patient.

Psalm 40:1 “I waited patiently for the Lord.”

In this verse, “patiently” literally means “without tiring” or “with perseverance”.  Be patient with yourself.  Don’t give up on you.  No one gets depressed overnight and no one conquers depression overnight.  It is a marathon, not a fifty yard dash!  On my journey, it took 45 years to hit rock bottom.  It has taken me four years to climb out … this far.  I am still climbing!  We must be patient.  We must be willing to persevere.  Don’t give up!  Just give in and allow God to take control.  He will turn that pit into an altar on which your broken spirit can be laid as a sweet sacrifice of praise.

Step Five:  Don’t give up.

Philippians 1:6  “And I am sure that God who began the good work within you will keep right on helping you grow in his grace until his task within you is finally finished on that day when Jesus Christ returns.”

God is at work!  The very fact that you are reading this devotion is proof that the Father has ordered your steps so that you can hear my story.  That may be because you are in a pit and you need help or maybe because someone you love is in that pit and you need to help them.  God wants you to experience restoration and then to be a vessel of restoration for others.

Years ago, in a large southeastern city, the great pianist, Paderewski, was scheduled to perform.  The city was alive with excitement and the day finally came.  In the crowd at the concert was a young mother clutching the hand of her small son.  Hoping to inspire him to practice, she had brought him to hear the master perform.  As they sat and waited for the concert to begin, she turned her head to look at the people as they filled the auditorium. The little boy saw his chance to escape.  He quietly slipped from his seat, walking down the aisle toward the stage.  Just as he reached the orchestra pit, a spotlight hit the grand piano and he gasped at the beauty of the instrument.  No one noticed the little boy as he slipped up the side stairs to the stage and climbed up on the piano stool.  No one noticed him at all, until he began to play “Chopsticks”.  The concert hall fell silent.  Then people began to shout.  “Get him away from that piano!” Backstage, the Master heard the crowd and grabbing his coat, rushed to the little boy’s side.  Without a word, he bent down and, placing his hands on either side of the boy’s, began to compose a beautiful counter melody to “Chopsticks”.  As they played together, he whispered in the little boy’s ear, “Don’t stop! Keep on!  Don’t quit!”

Right now, right where you are, understand that your Father is standing beside you, with His arms wrapped around you.  Listen as He gently speaks, “Don’t stop!  Keep on!  Don’t quit!”

I know that the music of your darkened soul may be filled with chaos and dissonance, but even now, the Master is composing the “rest” of your song.  One day very soon, it will be a song of beauty and light! One day, you will come out of the dark!

Let’s Pray
Oh God, right now I choose to wait on You, crying out for Your hand of mercy and love to deliver me from this pit of darkness.  I abandon myself to You and am counting on You to be my Redeemer and Friend.  Give me the courage to share my pain with others and ask for help.  Now, in the presence of my enemies of darkness and depression, I celebrate the victory.  Thank you, Father!

In Jesus’ name,
Amen.

Now It’s Your Turn
Memorize Psalm 40:1-3.  Accept these promises as a gift from God for every pit — past, present and future — in your life.  Ask yourself the following questions:

·         What is the first step you should take in order to climb out of this pit? Realize that I’m in a pit and it’s most likely my ego that put me there. Realize that I need help from God and to be honest with myself and with others, and actively seek reconciliation.

·         What do you need to leave behind or step over in order to take this first step?  I need to leave behind my ego and thinking I’m always right, in order to try to see things from someone else’s perspective.

*  What does it mean when it says that God is your lamp?  How does that change your perspective of life? In Proverbs it says His Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path. This means He will show me the way, step by step, where I must go.

* Examine the deepest desires of your heart.  Do you really want to escape this pit of darkness?  Does the freedom frighten you?  Why?
Yes, I want to escape. The freedom in a way can be frightening because it’s a change. I’d have to get our of my comfort zone and learn not to hide things, but be open, honest and learn to truly love. If we hide things, I believe that’s not out of love, but out of fear. But I will overcome this and chase after God’s will and freedom He wants for me.

Honesty is God’s Commandment

Leviticus 11:12,
12 Anything living in the water that does not have fins and scales is to be detestable to you.

Deuteronomy 5:20,
20 “You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor

Exodus 23:1,
Laws of Justice and Mercy
1 “Do not spread false reports. Do not help a wicked man by being a malicious witness.

Leviticus 19:11,
11 ” ‘Do not steal.
” ‘Do not lie.
” ‘Do not deceive one another.

Proverbs 6:16-19
16 There are six things the LORD hates,
seven that are detestable to him:

17 haughty eyes,
a lying tongue,
hands that shed innocent blood,

18 a heart that devises wicked schemes,
feet that are quick to rush into evil,

19 a false witness who pours out lies
and a man who stirs up dissension among brothers.

–

1. Some of God’s commandments regarding honesty is: -don’t testify falsely against a neighbor, do not steal, do not deceive or cheat one another, do not pass along false rumors, do not cooperate with evil people by lying on the witness stand, do not steal, do not deceive or cheat one another, do not be prideful or kill the innocent, do not plot evil or race to do wrong or sow discord in a family
2. Some situations that tempt me to want to lie is if I am afraid of the consequence or afraid of hurting others feelings. Oftentimes this could be a guise of wanting to be a nice person, but consequenty compromising my integrity

Faithful in Words (2)

1 Kings 8:56
56 “Praise be to the LORD, who has given rest to his people Israel just as he promised. Not one word has failed of all the good promises he gave through his servant Moses.

Proverbs 6:1-5
Warnings Against Folly
1 My son, if you have put up security for your neighbor,
if you have struck hands in pledge for another,

2 if you have been trapped by what you said,
ensnared by the words of your mouth,

3 then do this, my son, to free yourself,
since you have fallen into your neighbor’s hands:
Go and humble yourself;
press your plea with your neighbor!

4 Allow no sleep to your eyes,
no slumber to your eyelids.

5 Free yourself, like a gazelle from the hand of the hunter,
like a bird from the snare of the fowler.

–

1. God is so faithful in His Words. He is His Word, and His Word is ever true. What He says does come to pass. But thank You God for your mercy.

2. When I’m trapped in bad words or made promises I cannot keep, I should “beg to have (my) name erased.” I should swallow my pride and ask for their mercy.

Faithful in Words

Ecclesiastes 5:1-7
Stand in Awe of God
1 Guard your steps when you go to the house of God. Go near to listen rather than to offer the sacrifice of fools, who do not know that they do wrong.

2 Do not be quick with your mouth,
do not be hasty in your heart
to utter anything before God.
God is in heaven
and you are on earth,
so let your words be few.

3 As a dream comes when there are many cares,
so the speech of a fool when there are many words.

4 When you make a vow to God, do not delay in fulfilling it. He has no pleasure in fools; fulfill your vow. 5 It is better not to vow than to make a vow and not fulfill it. 6 Do not let your mouth lead you into sin. And do not protest to the temple messenger, “My vow was a mistake.” Why should God be angry at what you say and destroy the work of your hands? 7 Much dreaming and many words are meaningless. Therefore stand in awe of God.

–

It’s interesting because I’ve read the Bible many times growing up as a Christian, yet this passage feels like it’s the first time I’m reading it! It feels so fresh and new- exactly what my soul needs right now.

It talks about how I need to think through and wisely consider everything before I speak (Ecc 5:1-5) because sometimes we say dumb things just to impress but we do not say it wholeheartedly, and thus they are rash, hasty promises, and God does not care for mindless offerings. It just makes us look like a fool.

Instead, I should come to the Lord always with ears open and heart towards Him. I should just “let (my) words be few,” because it’s better “to say nothing than to make a promise and ot keep it (v.5). It says “talk is cheap (v.7)” and to “fear God instead (v.7).”

New Identity in Christ

Friday, September 19, 2008

1 Peter 2:9-17
9But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. 10Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

11Dear friends, I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul. 12Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.
Submission to Rulers and Masters
13Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every authority instituted among men: whether to the king, as the supreme authority, 14or to governors, who are sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to commend those who do right. 15For it is God’s will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish men. 16Live as free men, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as servants of God. 17Show proper respect to everyone: Love the brotherhood of believers, fear God, honor the king.

Romans 13:14
14Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the sinful nature.

—

1. The characteristics of a person who’s identity in Christ is new is that we know and act like God’s chosen people, royal priests and holy nation. We are confident, unified and holy, and love because we have received His love. And also as a result of knowing that we are chosen, priests and holy, we can show others the goodness of God. We have received His mercy so we should be grateful and are able and should share that mercy with others as well.
2. To sustain/liven this new identity, we should keep away from worldly desires that wage war “against (our) very souls.” We should focus on Him, and live properly. We should also meet up with fellow Christians–believers and followers of Christ– so that we can strengthen and encourage one another–and pray for one another!
3. How do I live my life when I’m around unbelievers? Hopefully the same as when I’m around believers. I want to tighten up aspects of my life so that I can say with a clean consience that what I do in the back is the same as I do in the front. I desire to live a life of integrity and I pray that God mold me to do so so I can bring glory to His name. I think for the most part I use my freedom not as an excuse to do evil. I praise God for this. I want to make a new commitment to sustain Christ’s identity in my life.

God Has the Integrity

Psalm 145:13, 1 Corinthians 10:13, 2 Thessalonians 3:3, 2 Timothy 2:13

13 Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,
and your dominion endures through all generations.
The LORD is faithful to all his promises
and loving toward all he has made.

13No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.

3But the Lord is faithful, and he will strengthen and protect you from the evil one.

1. One of the ways God shows His faithfulness towards His believers/beloved people is by not allowing any temptation to come our way that we are not able to handle. 1 Cor 10:13 says that “no temptation has seized you except what is common to man…He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear.” In addition to that, He will also always provide a way out so that we can stand up under it. This means that although the temptation is like a burden, we can give our burdens over to Him and be led by Him because it also says that He will make a way out for us (1 Cor 10:13b). =)

2. Yes! I can totally find God’s faithfulness in my life. Like whenever I’ve gotten frustrated over little things like maybe I don’t understand why the people whom the Lord has given authority over me do some particular thing (parents, spiritual leaders, school/work leaders), He always provides some outlet for me to vent or some person to come and share with me some wisdom so I can bear it and come to understanding. He’s always changed my heart so that I can follow His will  and guidance for my life, and I know He’s still working and will continue until His work is completed (me).

3. I think there have been times when my faithfulness towards the Lord has decreased, like due to discouragements due to negative circumstances or a company of people who don’t encourage me through their own actions and decision. This extended to many different areas such as diligence at home, work and school. But thank God 2 Tim 2:13 says that though we may be unfaithful, He is always faithful. And I want to make a commitment to always strive to restore my faith in Him, new everyday.

Increasing Integrity (3)

Increasing Integrity
1 Timothy 6:6-12
Titus 2:9-10

1.  Money can cause someone to deviate from being faithful to God because by having it the focus of their desires, they can wander from the faith and therefore “pierce themselves with many griefs.” A practical example is that if you are so focused on getting rich, instead of dedicating more time to love the Lord you do it to chase after mammon. Another thing is that you may become greedy and withhold from giving tithes and offerings.

2.  In increasing integrity as Christ’s witness, I should pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness.

Increasing Integrity (2)

Colossians 3:17, 22-25

17And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

22Slaves, obey your earthly masters in everything; and do it, not only when their eye is on you and to win their favor, but with sincerity of heart and reverence for the Lord. 23Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, 24since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving. 25Anyone who does wrong will be repaid for his wrong, and there is no favoritism.

>> I learned that in everything that I do, I need to do it in the name of Jesus, so don’t do it in vain, but as a token of worship to the Lord, and giving thanks always. This extends in serving others. We shouldn’t focus on winning favor in their eyes, but rather, wholeheartedly as to the Lord. Our reward is in heaven! Also, we need to be careful because it says that if we do wrong, we will be repaid for it, “and there is no favoritism.” This places more responsibility on us. Just because we’re followers of Christ doesn’t mean that He will not also extend His justice to us as well. He is ever-loving, but He this means He also treats everyone with justice. I just think I sometimes want to/need to ask for His extra mercy! Lol.

Increasing Integrity

Luke 12:42-48

42The Lord answered, “Who then is the faithful and wise manager, whom the master puts in charge of his servants to give them their food allowance at the proper time? 43It will be good for that servant whom the master finds doing so when he returns. 44I tell you the truth, he will put him in charge of all his possessions. 45But suppose the servant says to himself, ‘My master is taking a long time in coming,’ and he then begins to beat the menservants and maidservants and to eat and drink and get drunk. 46The master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he is not aware of. He will cut him to pieces and assign him a place with the unbelievers.

47″That servant who knows his master’s will and does not get ready or does not do what his master wants will be beaten with many blows. 48But the one who does not know and does things deserving punishment will be beaten with few blows. From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked.

1. The characteristics of people who carry out their duties properly are that they are faithful and wise and gives others their food at the proper time, that means serving and feeding others with the Word of God at the proper time. Then the Lord will put him in charge of many possessions because he was faithful even in the little things. However,a servant who fails to carry out his duties faithfully, instead taking for granted the trust the master has given him and being irresponsible, indulging himself rather than taking care of the fellow servants, will be punished.
2. The duties/responsibilities that God has entrusted to me as a child/worker/mentor is to be respectful, have submission, be responsible, maintain integrity, and to care for others.
3. My attitude when there is no leader/anyone in authority is that I wish there were one, lol. And if there’s an opportunity to compromise to sin, sometimes I can feel weak so I think it’s important that we regularly meet with these people God entrusted to watch over us so that we can feel cared for.

Becoming a Trustworthy Person

Genesis 39:1-10

1. From reading the passage above, Joeph does his work with the Lord always. Verse 2 says that “THe LORD was with Joseph and he prospered…(3) When his master saw that the LORD was with him and that LORD gave him success in everything he did, Joseph found favor in his eyes and became his attendant.” So actually, it was because the LORD was with him that he prospered!
2. Although Joseph was only a slave, he proved himself to be a trustworthy person with integrity because even when his master was gone, he did his work faithfully and was faithful to his master, despite temptation to be corrupt.
3. This makes me think about my quality as a child/employee/church worker. Even when those in authority are not around, I want to have integrity and do my duties faithfully because I’m serving Jesus and not man. =)