January 17: Out of the Pit
Some days it feels like the harder you try to climb out, the deeper you sink.
“I waited patiently for the LORD; he inclined to me and heard my cry. He drew me up from the pit of destruction, out of the miry bog, and set my feet upon a rock, making my steps secure. He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God. Many will see and fear, and put their trust in the LORD.”
David describes a horrible pit, full of miry clay. If you’ve ever stepped into deep mud, you know how it works. Every move to push yourself out pushes you further in. Your own effort is part of the trap.
That’s a good picture of drinking for many people. You try to cut back and end up drinking more. You switch to beer and drink twice as much of it. You swear off it for a week and come back harder. The struggling itself seems to tighten the grip.
Look at what David did. He waited patiently for the Lord. He cried out. And God bent down, heard him, and lifted him up. David didn’t climb out. He was pulled out. Then God set his feet on a rock and made his steps steady.
That is the hope underneath Step One. Admitting you are powerless isn’t the end of the story. It’s the moment you stop thrashing in the mud and start calling for help. That shift can feel like giving up. It’s actually what allows rescue to happen.
Waiting patiently doesn’t mean doing nothing. David cried out. In practice, crying out today might look like going to a meeting, telling the truth to a doctor or pastor, or calling another person in recovery. Those are the ways help reaches the pit.
Then there’s verse three. God put a new song in his mouth. Many will see it, the psalm says, and trust the Lord. Your story, the real one, with the pit in it, may someday help someone else find their way out. Not today, maybe. But that is where this road goes. People who have been lifted out often become the ones who lean down for the next person.
For now, just notice where your feet are. If you’re still in the mud, call out. If you’ve been lifted, even a little, give thanks for the rock.
One thing today
Say out loud, to God and then to one person: “I can’t get out of this on my own.” Then ask the person what helped them.
A prayer
Lord, I’ve been sinking, and my struggling hasn’t helped. I’m crying out to You. Lift me out. Set my feet somewhere solid. Someday, give me a new song.
This is the heart of Step One.
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