Praise Him in the Pits

"No matter how deep the pit, His arm can get down there and get a hold of that life and change it".

For those that know me, you will know how much I love music. While working on a presentation, I heard the above quote from a song (For Every Mountain) that I’ve heard on numerous occasions. But for some reason, this time around, it resonated differently with me. A quick google search will tell you that a pit is defined as a large hole in the ground. When you are in a pit, more often than not, you are too helpless to get yourself out and all you can do is sit there and either wallow in misery or pray for help.

For anyone that has ever been in a pit, you will get what I am talking about. A few years ago, I found myself in a pit that I never imagined I would enter and it was one of the most hopeless moments of my life. As I listened to this song, I couldn’t help but thank God for rescuing me out of that large hole. If He had not, there may be no Sage Onomsky. But God in His everlasting mercy (Heb. 4:16) heard my cry and like Jonah, He rescued me. Remember Jonah? His pit was the belly of a whale and he stayed in it for three whole days (Jonah 1:17) due to his disobedience to God. There are times we end up in pits due to faults of ours and there are times when it isn’t.

Paul is a perfect example of someone who entered pits due to no fault of his. What was his crime? The spreading of the gospel as Jesus instructed each and every one of us. Paul was a Roman citizen and he could have chosen the cushy life; instead, he chose a life dedicated to preaching the gospel in every place he could. He spent so much time in pits (prisons) that it must have likely been of little to no impact to him.  But what does the bible say Paul did when he was in the pits? He wrote bible verses that would later form the bulk of the New Testament and he also praised. Just imagine that! Praising in the pits! That is what God would like us to do. Even when we are in those pits due to faults of ours, He wants us to approach him and ask for mercy. Just like Jonah (Jonah 2) and I did. He wants us to praise Him, just like Paul and Silas did (Acts 16:25)! And guess what? His loving arms will come down there, hold you tight in a warm embrace and pull you out. Ps. 40:2 (AMPC) says that “He drew me up out of a horrible pit [a pit of tumult and of destruction], out of the miry clay (froth and slime), and set my feet upon a rock, steadying my steps and establishing my goings”.

So what do we do when we find ourselves in the pits? Do what Ps. 40 and Heb. 4:16 say: ask God for mercy and grace and wait on Him expectantly. He will definitely come and pick you up and set you on solid rock. How awesome is that. In 2022, I give you this charge, no matter how deep the pit is, trust in God’s ability to rescue you from the depths of whatever pit you find yourself in and praise Him while waiting. He will definitely come for you! Stay blessed and have an awesome 2022.

Image Cred: YouVersion