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.
Psalm 40:1-2 (NIV)
Anytime I read about a pit in Scripture, I think of the depths of depression. Throughout the psalms that David wrote, he referred to emotional lows as being in a pit. When he found himself in such circumstances, he always cried out to the Lord to rescue him and set his feet on solid, level ground. The Lord was faithful to help him.
Like David, nobody wants to be in the pit of depression. It is an emotionally difficult place that feels hopeless. When we are deeply depressed, we feel bad enough as it is. Then the devil brings thoughts of every negative thing imaginable to make the misery worse. He reminds us of our disappointments and tries to make us believe that nothing good will ever happen to us. His goal is to keep us so miserable and hopeless that we will not be able to cause him any problems or fulfill God’s purpose for our lives.
According to Romans 14:17 (NIV), God wants us to experience righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit, so we know He does not want us stuck in depression. As today’s scripture says, the pit of depression is a slimy place, and slimy places are difficult to climb out of without help.
The Holy Spirit is our Helper (John 14:26 AMP). When we cry out to God, He pulls our emotions out of the pit, sets us on a rock, and gives us a firm place to stand so we can be emotionally stable.
Prayer of the Day: Holy Spirit, when I feel like I’m in a pit, help me. Set my feet on a rock and give me a firm place to stand.
