The Horrible Pit or the Perilous Cliff
"The clanging of the blacksmith's hammer and anvil above us; the constant tugging, shaking and jangling racket of the chains shackled to us , the moaning, whining and cursing of our pain coming from us, and the unceasing insults and lies that continually spewed into the mess that we were trapped in... It was about to pull me completely under.
Then I remembered, and heard a still small voice that spoke to my soul "Stand still, and see the salvation of your God!" I waited in stillness, with my eyes closed downward, and in the tears of my crying ... When I felt a hand touch me, lift me by my chains, washing me as I moved, unshackling me, mending my brokenness, and whispering Love all the way.
Not quite sure of my destination, I waited patiently in my the journey and the process of my healing until I found my self being lead to rest upon the edge of a cliff. At first my senses rejected the concept of this precarious situation (almost hearing my former captors laughing in mockery of my perceived peril) - but the mockery faded as I was overwhelmed with an extravagant Love that was now holding me in this peril of Grace. My soul knew right well that here on the Edge was the Safety and Security of all Eternity." Excerpt from The Scarlet Sinner'
Psalm 40:1,2,3 - "I waited patiently for the LORD; and He inclined unto me, and heard my cry. He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings. And he hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God: many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the LORD."
Every one of us have had that moment of great self inflicted peril or unexplained degradation - where we have cried out in patient desperation for help. We all know what it feels like to be trapped in the midst of frightening, roaring confinement of pain or in that mire, that sticky place of potential addictive desires to rebel. "Not I!" Has become our protective reflex.
"Not I!" Because Some of us haven't been caught yet or faced the mirror of our true persecutor ... But I will guaranty, that once caught and held in that place of profound guilt, shame, and naked awareness ... We all will find ourselves searching for a plea bargain, or someone with the power to deliver us from the invasion of the peril.
Here is the real deal ... When you are quiet and waiting for that deliverance, HE IS THERE. He is moved to bring you up out of that horrible roaring pit, He is longing to lift you from that miry clay that continues to mold you into shame...
But here is where it gets very real (hope you can take it, O please don't shake it) ... He will deliver us, in His way and in His time (for it is best). He will set our feet upon The Perilous Cliff of His Love, and will stabilize our vision-walk forward in the faithful path of His mercy and Grace.
Quiet the noise of our pain, and hear His Voice of everlasting Truth!
He has provided for us ... there ... On the Edge, where there is no place else to go and no one else to trust; and His provision there .. On the Rock, the Cliff, the Edge ...is amazing, satisfying, and eternal.
BUT Will we see it His way? Will we take advantage of this powerfully transparent place, will we take up the New Song found on the cliff, and make His praise extremely conspicuous so that many will see it, and be shaken toward His way, and trust in Him? Some of us still can't shake the noise of the old song of the pit (of slavery to our pain and desires). It has such a familiar ring, and everybody is singing it ... Even in the congregation of the righteous. So many voices that conflict with the voice of rescue, the voice of healing ... The Voice of God.
But as we are reading this ... many of us are lost in noise of the pit, and have sunk so deep in the mire ... We feel that there is no way out. Hey ... No one sees this side of us though. We have put up a great "I'm OK" front and have need of nothing. And we have even donned the garment of pride ... Which when help is extended our way, we push it aside as if we didn't need it.
Be encouraged ... If you have read this far, there is hope. Let's bow our heads right now and give our struggle to Him. He is ready and waiting to rescue us. Just Get Real with God!
HLFA,
Jeff
Don't fall for the advertisements and glamour that the god of this world has in place to break in to your life, to steal all your precious treasures of living, to kill all your dreams on hopes of destroying you for ever... Remember: "Greater is He that is in you, than he that is in the world."