He Lifted Me Out of the Slimy Pit

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 the LORD and put their trust in him. (Psalms 40:1-3 NIV)

God, the really cool thing about these verses is they are so real. Sometimes, when we are in the thick of it, it feels like we are stuck in the mud. We can’t move, can’t get out and all around us we see brown. Yucky brown. Finally, after we are there for way too long – you show up and pull us out. You prop us up on a more solid place and brush off the brown. That’s when we sing and praise. We jump up and down and tell everyone how great you are. The experience was hard and it certainly wasn’t fun but when we get through it….our trust in you is strong and we are able to let go of us and hold on to you. Somehow, and this is the mystery, it makes it all worth it. Thank you.

By Elaine Kapentanakis