Today’s Reading, Psalms 26, 40, 58, 61, 62, & 64
Focal Scripture: Psalms 40:2 “He brought me up from a desolate pit, out of the muddy clay, and set my feet on a rock, making my steps secure.”
Have you ever been stuck in a situation and not sure how you were going to get out of it in time? I have, and one time it was extremely scary. When I was younger, I was swimming in a pool with several friends who were on a large float. We were playing a game of who could swim to the other side of the pool the fastest. The group on the float was paddling above the water, and I was swimming below. Somehow, as we were both moving to the side, we were in complete sync. As I tried to come up for air, the float followed my every move. I was completely unable to get air, and I started to panic. For me to stop the current, I had to sink to the bottom and let the float move on its own. After a long time, I was able to come up and get some fresh air. I got out of the pool and stood on solid ground for the rest of the day.
In today’s reading, we see David explain his feelings and emotions about the situation he was in during his life. He says he was in a desolate pit that had muddy clay at the bottom. He was stuck and needed help. However, God brought him out of that pit and put his feet on the solid ground. His steps were secure, not because of his doing but because of God’s.
You might not be stuck under a float in a pool or even in a literal pit. However, you might feel like you are in the situations you are currently facing in your life. You possibly could be overwhelmed with financial stress, and it’s like being in a bottomless pit. Your mental health might have you believing you are stuck in the mud and thinking you will never be able to escape. Life and its circumstances can leave you overwhelmed and beaten down. If that is you today, know that there is hope.
The point of today’s verse is not to focus on the pit or the clay. It is to focus on the one who can remove you from a troublesome situation and place your feet on solid ground. I need to point out that when God does this, it doesn’t mean your difficulties will vanish. What it does mean is that you can face your struggles with stable feet. David knows that as a warrior, you can’t fight well when you are on shaky ground. However, you can fight well when you can focus on your opponent.
That is the point of David’s Psalm. God will place him on solid ground, and then he can attack life with confidence. God is the heroine of the story, not David. God does the saving, and David just has to walk in faith. That is the challenge I have for you today: walk in faith when you are on solid ground. Know that the Lord will present you with every opportunity to put your faith to the test.
Pray not for deliverance but for a solid footing.
Tomorrow, I plan on reading 2 Samuel 19-21
