Stuck in the Mud
“He lifted me out of the slimy pit,
out of the mud and mire;”
Psalm 40:2 NIV
As the wheels spun and the van sunk deeper into the wet grass, mud was going everywhere. Admittedly, it wasn’t that deep...but we were still stuck. My friends and I were not only frustrated, but we were also comic relief for the county water crew working on the underground pipes who were watching us. It was hot and we were out of ideas to remedy the problem. Finally, the crew asked if we could use some help. In fact, they offered to bring their “digger” (or whatever you call it) over and pull us out. A few minutes later, with the help of a big chain, they pulled the van out of the mud. We were unstuck and free to move on. We were also slightly humiliated. Did I mention that we were in the church van? Yep, we gave the neighborhood a front row seat to witness our poor decision making in that moment.
You see, we had the best intentions in our plan: take a shortcut across the lawn, unload the riding lawnmowers, and get the job done, bada bing - bada boom. But, life doesn't always work out that simple. And shortcuts are not always shorter. The ground was softer and wetter than we planned on, the load was heavier than we thought, and we needed more help than we realized. Life is that way, too! Our marriages, parenting, jobs, even simple errands become more difficult than we planned sometimes. We can easily get stuck in the mud of a quick decision, bad attitude, or an angry response that makes a problem worse.
Thankfully, God sees us stuck in the mud of our decisions, disappointments, and doubts. He not only sees us but He also comes to our rescue and lifts us out of the mud and mire. Maybe He fixes the problem, maybe He adjusts our attitude, maybe He teaches us a lesson, or maybe He gives us an opportunity to help someone else. But, make no mistake - He wants to work it out with us.
“I waited patiently for the Lord to help me, and he turned to me and heard my cry.
He lifted me out of the pit of despair, out of the mud and the mire.
He set my feet on solid ground and steadied me as I walked along.
He has given me a new song to sing, and a hymn of praise to our God.
Many will see what he has done and be amazed.
They will put their trust in the Lord.”
Psalm 40:1-3 NLT
Next time you are stuck in the mud, remember this verse and the truth that God listens, God lifts, and God leads.
God listens: The amazing thing about God is that He lets us vent and does not condemn us or cut us off. Although God is not obligated to do things your way, He cares and hears what you have to say.
God lifts: He will not leave you in that pit. It may feel like an eternity to you, but God will lift you out of your depression, out of your brokenness, out of your confusion, and out of your emptiness. He starts by lifting our hopes, our purpose, and our revelation of Him.
God leads: He gives us a new song to sing...a song wrapped up in His truth and His victory. When we rejoice, whether in or out of our mud hole, others who are stuck can learn who our God is and find their way out, too.
The funny thing is, we didn't ask these county workers to help us when we were stuck in the mud that day. They just came over (albeit after they had a good laugh) and offered to help. Think about it. God offered us His help before we asked or even knew we needed help. Romans 5:8 says, “But God demonstrated his love for us in this while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” If you think about it, He made us an offer we couldn’t refuse! Now that's real love and real help. Are you stuck in the mud? Rest assured that if you will turn to God today, He will listen, lift, and lead you out.