Mud Puddles and Slimy Pits
Have you ever fallen into a mud puddle? When we were kids, we not only fell into them, we jumped into them with much joy and enthusiasm. As adults, we generally try to avoid these and view them as obstacles rather than recreational opportunities, but even then we sometimes fall or are pushed into muddy patches.
In Psalm 40, David remembers a time when he was in a slimy pit and how God brought him up and out of it. Not only did his God rescue him, but he set his feet on a solid rock in contrast to the ever shifting slippery mud.
David doesn’t reveal exactly what pit this was. It could have been a literal well into which he had fallen or been thrown, or he could have been speaking metaphorically about a time when he was really down and discouraged. Either way, God reached down with His mighty hand and lifted him from his predicament and established him in a firm place once again.
The prophet Jeremiah also knew what it was like to be in a pit for his king ordered for him to be thrown into one because of his less than optimistic prophecies. As he languished at the bottom of the well, the Scripture describes how he sunk into the muddy bottom. We can only imagine what must have gone through his mind wondering if he would perish there or somehow be rescued. Thankfully, he was later lifted from the mire to continue his ministry.
Joseph also spent time in a pit. After his jealous brothers stripped him of his many-colored coat, they were about to kill him when one of them suggested they stash him in a nearby cistern. He was later taken out only to be sold as a slave before eventually ending up second in command over all of Egypt years later. In retrospect, Joseph said, “You intended to harm me, but God meant it for good.”
In more recent times, many will remember the thirty-three trapped Chilean miners who spent sixty-nine days imprisoned 2,300 feet below the ground as engineers and rescuers worked frantically to free them. Thankfully and miraculously, all of them were brought up safely as an estimated one billion people watched the drama unfold. Most of the miners gave God the glory for their rescue while also recognizing how He worked through their rescuers.
All of us have probably had one or more pit experiences in life. There have been times when we have ended up in a slimy pit of desperation and despair with seemingly no way out. Sometimes we stumbled into our pit unintentionally, either by accident or negligence. Sometimes someone else might have pushed us into it out of hatred, meanness, or disregard. And sometimes we foolishly jumped into the pit ourselves little knowing how damaging it would be or how difficult it would be to escape.
Although David doesn’t tell us the circumstances of his arrival in the pit, he does recognize who rescued him. He didn’t use his athleticism or cunning to climb out since he was mired in wet clay and hopeless beyond belief. He also wasn’t pulled out by friends or family. The EMTs did not come to his aid but rather his Almighty and all compassionate God was his savior.
If you’re in a pit right now, keep your focus on God. Ask Him to teach you whatever He wants you to learn and to extend His grace through release and liberation. Remember that like Joseph, David, Jeremiah and the Chilean miners, most pits are temporary and God has promised to be with us even there.
If you are out of your pit today, thank God for that grace and reflect back on what you experienced during your pit time. Don’t forget the lessons learned and the feelings felt during the dark days at the bottom. But also don’t forget the joy and freedom you experienced when God reached down, and like David, either swiftly or gradually, raised you up and out and planted your feet on solid ground once again. Be sure to thank and honor Him for it.
Blessings, George