My son, Daniel, was eight years old. We were in the bathroom when he spotted a spider in the bathtub. Being a boy, I thought he would kill it immediately. But instead he ran out the door and came back with a piece of paper. Gently he scooped up the spider from the bathtub, carried it out to our backyard and gently laid it down on the green grass. Even though an eight--year old boy is a natural enemy to a spider, God used Daniel to save and rescue the spider trapped in the pit of our bathtub.
In life's long journey, pits are inevitable. We face a financial pit, a career pit, health or a relationship pit. Usually they show up uninvited. Abraham was in a pit when God asked him to sacrifice his only son. Moses was in a pit when he killed an Egyptian. Joseph was in a literal pit by his mean brothers. Pits are uncomfortable. Pits make us lose sight of Hope. But it is in the pit character is developed, supernatural growth occurs and God's mercy and grace scoop us out of our pit.
Are you trapped in the enemy's pit today? Do you feel like you can't get out of a hopeless situation? I've got news for you! God wants to give you a lift out of your pit and land you in the green pasture of His garden of blessing. The Scriptures says, "When a man's ways pleases the Lord, He makes even His enemies to be at peace with Him". Prov. 16:7.
Not all pits are a consequence of our sin. Abraham , sincerely followed God when he was faced with a pit of decision to sacrifice his son. This tells me that not every problem we face in life is an outcome of bad choices we make along the journey. However, it is highly possible that the pits we're in today are the results of some wrong thinking, talking and acting on our part.
So why does God allow "pits" in our lives? When we find the purpose of the pit we're in today, we'll find peace. One of the main reasons God allows "pits" in our lives is for us to GROW! Human nature is such that we learn the fastest and hardest when we're inconvenienced and shaken out of our comfort zone. This way of learning is not God's best for our lives. But in His mercy, He allows the pit to take ownership for our faults, to sharpen us and to learn new things that He's been trying to teach us all along! No matter how spiritual you are, you cannot pray every uncomfortable situation away from your life. A better way to deal with the pit is to learn and grow. The faster we learn, the less time we'll have to spend in the pit!
Last week I was in a nice hotel attending a World Missions Conference. As I sat in the coffee shop, I couldn't help but notice the elevators crawling up and down the walls of the hotel. Elevators are fascinating! I call it a "magic box." You push a button, wait a while for it to come down, you get in the box, tell it where to go; and it lands you there in a few seconds! It's the same way with God. The Scripture says, "Whosoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved." Rom. 10:13. That's pushing the button, welcoming God's favor upon your life.
Interesting thing about an elevator is you're in control of where you want to land. An elevator maybe full of people but you still get to decide where you want to go. The same "magic box" serves the first floor and the top floor. Friend, only you can determine how high up in God's ladder you want to climb. It is God's desire to lift you to the top floor giving you the best view over life's circumstances.
Friend, no matter what pit you're in today, God wants to give you a lift. He wants to pick you up from your low position and lift you up to a high position. He wants to deliver you from your pit and set you in God's garden of blessing. Just like my son Daniel to the spider, God has assigned people to come to your aid and lift you out of your pit. While you're learning, growing and waiting for your lift, search your heart and see if God wants to use you to lift someone else out of their pit. Believe me, it will be a lot more tolerable in the pit when you're focusing on giving others the lift they need.
You are unforgettable to God. He holds your picture in His Hands. He can't stand seeing you in a ditch. His Hands are stretched and His face is turned toward you. Let Him give you a lift above all your circumstances. Amen?
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