““Life is the Pits?”Life is the Pits?”

Psalms 40:1-4Psalms 40:1-4

I waited patiently for the LORD; he turned I waited patiently for the LORD; he turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand. He put a new song in firm place to stand. He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear and put their trust Many will see and fear and put their trust in the LORD. Blessed is the man who in the LORD. Blessed is the man who makes the LORD his trust, who does not makes the LORD his trust, who does not look to the proud, to those who turn look to the proud, to those who turn aside to false gods.aside to false gods.

Psalm 69Psalm 69““Save me, O God… those who hate me Save me, O God… those who hate me without a cause are more than the hairs without a cause are more than the hairs of my head; those who would destroy of my head; those who would destroy me are powerful.”me are powerful.”

Psalm 51Psalm 51““Be gracious to me, O God, … wash me Be gracious to me, O God, … wash me thoroughly from my iniquity and cleanse thoroughly from my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin.”me from my sin.”

A pit could be…A pit could be…The breaking point for someone who The breaking point for someone who

is overworked at their place of is overworked at their place of employment, where they work 10 or employment, where they work 10 or 12 hours per day and it just goes on 12 hours per day and it just goes on and on.and on.

A pit could be…A pit could be…The loneliness of a grieving widow.The loneliness of a grieving widow.

Or it could be the limit of a mother Or it could be the limit of a mother with small children at home.with small children at home.

A pit could be…A pit could be…The impossible The impossible

expectations of too expectations of too many classes in many classes in school.school.

Interpersonal or social Interpersonal or social relationships that are relationships that are tied up in conflict.tied up in conflict.

A pit could be…A pit could be…The physical and recurring The physical and recurring

pain of someone who suffers pain of someone who suffers an illness.an illness.

The constant strains of not The constant strains of not having enough money.having enough money.

The pain of being in a The pain of being in a loveless marriage or going loveless marriage or going through an unwanted through an unwanted divorce.divorce.

David felt like that.David felt like that.

What do you do when you are What do you do when you are

stuck in the muck?stuck in the muck?

How do you get out of the How do you get out of the mire?mire?

Call out to God in faith and Call out to God in faith and

wait for His deliverance!wait for His deliverance!

Psalm 40:1,2Psalm 40:1,2

““I waited patiently for the LORD; he I waited patiently for the LORD; he turned to me and heard my cry. He turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand.”and gave me a firm place to stand.”

Call out to God in faithCall out to God in faith

Psalm 118:8-9Psalm 118:8-9

““It is better to take refuge in the Lord It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in man; it is better to than to trust in man; it is better to take refuge in the Lord than to take take refuge in the Lord than to take trust in princes.”trust in princes.”

Call out to God in faithCall out to God in faithPsalm 118:11-14Psalm 118:11-14

““Do not withhold your mercy from me, O Do not withhold your mercy from me, O LORD; may your love and your truth LORD; may your love and your truth always protect me. For troubles without always protect me. For troubles without number surround me; my sins have number surround me; my sins have overtaken me, and I cannot see. They are overtaken me, and I cannot see. They are more than the hairs of my head, and my more than the hairs of my head, and my heart fails within me. Be pleased, O heart fails within me. Be pleased, O LORD, to save me O LORD, come quickly LORD, to save me O LORD, come quickly to help me. May all who seek to take my to help me. May all who seek to take my life be put to shame and confusion; may life be put to shame and confusion; may all who desire my ruin be turned back in all who desire my ruin be turned back in disgrace.”disgrace.”

Call out to God in faithCall out to God in faith

Psalm 118:15-17Psalm 118:15-17

““May those who say to me, ‘Aha! Aha!’ be May those who say to me, ‘Aha! Aha!’ be appalled at their own shame. But may all appalled at their own shame. But may all who seek you rejoice and be glad in you; who seek you rejoice and be glad in you; may those who love your salvation always may those who love your salvation always say, ‘The LORD be exalted!’ Yet I am poor say, ‘The LORD be exalted!’ Yet I am poor and needy; may the Lord think of me. You and needy; may the Lord think of me. You are my help and my deliverer; O my God, are my help and my deliverer; O my God, do not delay.”do not delay.”

Wait for His deliveranceWait for His deliverance DisciplineDiscipline

Sometimes we Sometimes we are in a pit as a are in a pit as a consequence of consequence of our own sins.our own sins.

God may be God may be waiting for us to waiting for us to change our change our direction before direction before he changes our he changes our circumstances.circumstances.

DevelopmentDevelopment

Sometimes our Sometimes our trials are allowed trials are allowed to be faith-to be faith-stretchers.stretchers.

God may choose God may choose to develop you in to develop you in the pit before He the pit before He delivers you from delivers you from the pit.the pit.

Gerald SittserGerald Sittser

A Grace DisguisedA Grace Disguised

WHY?

Waiting patiently is a constant Waiting patiently is a constant looking up to God with the looking up to God with the

confidence that He is looking out for confidence that He is looking out for you.you.

DavidDavid

JosephJoseph

JeremiahJeremiah

Jesus Jesus

How to get into the choir:How to get into the choir:

Sing out to God in praise andSing out to God in praise and wait for others to join in!wait for others to join in!

Psalm 40:3,4Psalm 40:3,4““He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and of praise to our God. Many will see and fear and put their trust in the LORD. fear and put their trust in the LORD. Blessed is the man who makes the LORD Blessed is the man who makes the LORD his trust, who does not look to the proud, his trust, who does not look to the proud, to those who turn aside to false gods.”to those who turn aside to false gods.”

Sing out to God in praiseSing out to God in praise

Psalm 40:3Psalm 40:3

““He put a He put a new song new song in my mouth, a in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God.”hymn of praise to our God.”

Sing out to God in praiseSing out to God in praise

Psalm 33:3 says to, “Sing unto him a Psalm 33:3 says to, “Sing unto him a new songnew song; play skillfully with a loud ; play skillfully with a loud noise.”noise.”

Psalm 96:1 says, “O sing unto the Lord Psalm 96:1 says, “O sing unto the Lord a a new songnew song; sing unto the Lord all the ; sing unto the Lord all the earth.”earth.”

Psalm 98:1 says, “O sing unto the Lord Psalm 98:1 says, “O sing unto the Lord a a new songnew song; for he hath done marvelous ; for he hath done marvelous things: his right hand, and his holy arm, things: his right hand, and his holy arm, hath gotten him the victory.”hath gotten him the victory.”

Sing out to God in praiseSing out to God in praise

Psalm 144:9 says, “I will sing a Psalm 144:9 says, “I will sing a new new song song unto thee O God; upon a unto thee O God; upon a psaltery and an instrument of ten psaltery and an instrument of ten strings will I sing praises unto thee.”strings will I sing praises unto thee.”

Psalm 149:1 says, “Praise ye the Psalm 149:1 says, “Praise ye the Lord, sing unto the Lord a Lord, sing unto the Lord a new songnew song, , and his praises I the congregation of and his praises I the congregation of saints.”saints.”

Psalm 40:5Psalm 40:5

““Many, O LORD my god, are the Many, O LORD my god, are the wonders you have done. The things wonders you have done. The things you planned for us no one can recount you planned for us no one can recount to you; were I to speak and tell of to you; were I to speak and tell of them, they would be too many to them, they would be too many to declare.”declare.”

Whole-hearted praise matched Whole-hearted praise matched by whole-hearted commitment…by whole-hearted commitment…

Psalm 40:6-8Psalm 40:6-8

““Sacrifice and offering you did not desire, Sacrifice and offering you did not desire, but my ears you have pierced; burnt but my ears you have pierced; burnt offerings and sin offerings you did not offerings and sin offerings you did not require. Then I said, ‘Here I am, I have require. Then I said, ‘Here I am, I have come – it is written about me in the scroll. I come – it is written about me in the scroll. I desire to do your will, O my God; your law desire to do your will, O my God; your law is within my heart.’”is within my heart.’”

““He raised me from a horrid pit He raised me from a horrid pit where, mourning, long I lay where, mourning, long I lay and from my bonds released my and from my bonds released my

feet; deep bonds of miry clay.feet; deep bonds of miry clay.Firm on a rock he made me stand, Firm on a rock he made me stand, and taught my cheerful tongue and taught my cheerful tongue to praise the wonders of his hand to praise the wonders of his hand

in a new, thankful song.” in a new, thankful song.”

songwriter unknownsongwriter unknown

Wait for others to join inWait for others to join in

Psalm 40:3 “He put a new song in my Psalm 40:3 “He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear and put Many will see and fear and put their trust in the LORDtheir trust in the LORD.”.”

So go public!So go public!Psalm 40:9,10 “I proclaim Psalm 40:9,10 “I proclaim

righteousness in the great assembly; I righteousness in the great assembly; I do not seal my lips, as you know, O do not seal my lips, as you know, O LORD. I do not hide your righteousness LORD. I do not hide your righteousness in my heart; I speak of your faithfulness in my heart; I speak of your faithfulness and salvation. I do not and salvation. I do not conceal your love and conceal your love and your truth from the great your truth from the great assembly.”assembly.”

““To him who sits on the To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory praise and honor and glory

and power, for ever and and power, for ever and ever! The four living ever! The four living

creatures said, ‘Amen…’ ”creatures said, ‘Amen…’ ”

A shrouding blackness engulfs my being.A shrouding blackness engulfs my being.

Alone, afraid, my mind a whirlpool ever Alone, afraid, my mind a whirlpool ever inwards towards an eternity of intolerable inwards towards an eternity of intolerable

pain.pain.I use to reach out a hand into the black I use to reach out a hand into the black

unknown and hope that my soul was torn unknown and hope that my soul was torn from me and I hoped no more. from me and I hoped no more.

It was like a pit, unfathomable depth, It was like a pit, unfathomable depth, torturous groveling, my tears the only torturous groveling, my tears the only sound in the impenetrable darkness. I sound in the impenetrable darkness. I

remember that pit and the pain and the remember that pit and the pain and the hopelessness of an eternal agony of mind hopelessness of an eternal agony of mind and the soulless wandering in uncharted and the soulless wandering in uncharted

desert.desert.

Now I find myself at this oasis, Now I find myself at this oasis, this unlooked for harbor, this refuge. this unlooked for harbor, this refuge.

I do not deserve that gracious act to I do not deserve that gracious act to pluck me from that all-powerful deep. I pluck me from that all-powerful deep. I

had no hope. The turning back along the had no hope. The turning back along the path I came I see a guiding light and feel path I came I see a guiding light and feel

a protecting ring. Nestling in your a protecting ring. Nestling in your warmth, my cold heart was thawed. The warmth, my cold heart was thawed. The blackness in my soul has blossomed into blackness in my soul has blossomed into a million blooms. My tears have a million blooms. My tears have

turned to jewels and my bitterness to turned to jewels and my bitterness to honey. But I remember the pit. Keep me, honey. But I remember the pit. Keep me, oh Lord, safe in the oh Lord, safe in the

refuge of your wings.refuge of your wings.