Out of the Pits

² He lifted me out of the slimy pit,
   out of the mud and mire;
he set my feet on a rock
   and gave me a firm place to stand.
³ He put a new song in my mouth,
   a hymn of praise to our God.   Psalms 140:2-3 NIV

Going through the pits of fear, rejection, abandonment, being devalued, date raped, guilt, shame, 13 years of marital abuse, dealing with substance abuse, divorce, tough love, separation from children, and the deaths of parents wasn’t the least bit pleasant. In my human comprehension, I do not and cannot understand some of these pits. The problem is when you are in a pit you can only hear familiar voices. The voices know the depth of your anguish and truly understand you:  the voice of the one God who created you and wants to deliver you and the voice of Satan who wants to keep you down in the pit and destroy you.

So I, like many others, was at the point of choice. Do I believe and trust myself, an imperfect human who has caused a large portion of my own pain through bad choices, do I trust in another imperfect person or religion, or do I seek to know, trust, and understand the perfect God who created me through His word? 

My way seemed to bring more pain and despair so I chose to seek a true daily personal relationship with God.  Instead of allowing the unanswered questions to plant and grow seeds of bitterness, anger, shame, guilt, and condemnation, I clung to God and received His grace, mercy, love, healing, and courage. I came through the fiery pits refined and stronger. Through Christ’s strength. my painful past life experiences no longer dictate my emotions or joy and peace. They help me learn wisdom and understanding, practice forgiveness, and enable me to connect and encourage others who have the same or similar experiences in their life journeys. 

These heart connections open the door of opportunity to share the hope, freedom, peace, and love I’ve found in Christ. All that Satan had planned for evil and my destruction, God has sanctified and is grooming for the good of others.

What pits have God used for the good?