The Pits

Psalm 30:3 (The Voice version)You lifted me up from the grave with a mighty hand, gave me another chance, and saved me from joining those in that dreadful pit.This verse reminded me of a slang expression from the 60’s and 70’s – “That’s the pits!” It was a fitting expression when bad news was delivered. The Psalmist describes being saved from that awful pit.The pit we need saving from might be the pit of despair over the diagnosis we or a loved one has received. The pit could be overwhelming debt, an uncontrollable situation, a terrible illness, or a family tragedy. It could be the nightly news filled with wars and rumors or wars. But whatever brings us to “the pits” – God can help us. I am reminded of the song “Graves into Gardens” ©2019 Maverick City Publishing Worldwide. The lyrics remind us of God’s power to lift us from all these pits…and I quote from that song… ‘Cause the God of the mountain, is the God of the valley. There’s not a place Your mercy And Grace won’t find me again. You turn morning to dancing. You give beauty for ashes. You turn shame into glory. You’re the only one who can. You’re the only one who can.So, let’s remember that whatever brings us to the pits – God can help us. If we take his hand, trust that He loves us and will sustain us, we can rise up from our despair. He is reaching for us in our pits of worry, fear, or sorrow. He will lift us out of the pit, if we will let Him.Please pray with me now…Dear loving and all-powerful God, we need your strength, your comfort, your hope and your grace. Please help us reach for you from our pits, to take your already offered hand and to climb out of our pits right into your loving arms. Help us to accept your Grace and to offer Grace to others. Help us to trust your great LOVE and to rest in your mercy, now and forevermore. In Jesus’ name we pray…AmenToday’s podcast was written and read by Bernice Howard.Grace for All is a daily devotional podcast produced by the members of the congregation of First United Methodist Church in Maryville, Tennessee. With these devotionals, we want to remind listeners on a daily basis of the love and grace that God extends to all human beings, no matter their location, status, or condition in life. If you would like to respond to these devotionals in any way, we would enjoy hearing from you. Our email address is: [email protected]. First United Methodist Church is a lively, spirit-filled congregation whose goal is to spread the message of love and grace into our community and throughout the world. We are located on the web at https://1stchurch.org/.