Out of the pit and into His hand.

“Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits, who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy, who satisfies you with good so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's.”
 (Psalm 103:2-5, ESV)

  We at times find ourselves in a deep place, mired and overcome by pain, suffering and struggle. These places are dark and foreboding pits of despair, awful with the mire of frustration, difficulty and hopelessness. They hold us in the misery of sadness of the moment with walls slippery and towering around us.  Sometimes we end up in these pits because of our sin. Sin promises delight but it brings despair. Sin is always false, looking like light when it only beings darkness. We at times follow after sin and then become mired in the taunts of guilt that flood our hearts in the pits of our lives. Sometimes we fall into a pit by our stubbornness and failure to obey God or follow His ways. Sometimes we are thrown into a pit because of the sin of others directed at us. At times we may find ourselves in a pit simply because we live in a sinful and fallen world where the deeds of sin, greed, corruption and evil bring pain and despair into the lives of those around them.

     We can even find ourselves in a pit of misery without any reasonable explanations.  Our health or the health of those around us can change in an instant with unexpected upheavals and losses knocking us into a place of struggle and sadness. The normalcy of our living can change at any time from success to failure, from accolades to rejections and from prosperity to poverty and we can find ourselves in a despairing place.  We can be mired down with the weight of disappointment and heartache and the walls of the pit tower above us. Who can rescue us? Who really sees us? Who really cares? Who can reach down to the deep darkness engulfing us? 

      When we are surrounded by the walls of the pit, it is easy to be depressed because we see the height of the walls and the deepness of the pit.  When we call to God from those places, He will come and gracefully lift us from the depths of the pit.  He reaches deep and there is tremendous power in the grace of God.  His hands are extended fully in reaching to the deepest darkness (Psalm 34:18). His hands have a secure and unfailing grip, not only for the moment but for eternity (John 10:28). His hands will tenderly hold us and sustain us with His unfailing love (Isaiah 49:15). God sees you in any pit you find yourself in, He is listening to your cries and He is reaching out to love, comfort and heal you.  Let Him lift you up to rest in His hand.  Come out of the pit and into His hand.

Suggested Reading … Psalm 103