Stand

I waited patiently for the Lord; He turned to me and heard my cry. 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. He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear the Lord and put their trust in Him.  Psalm 40:1-3

     Wherever you are, whatever the cry of your heart, God will turn to you. He hears you. The three short verses above are a beautiful picture of salvation in Christ. We get to a point. We can’t do it on our own. Those fears, whether of life or death encroach and surround us. They seep in and they take over. We seek God, and He inclines His ear to us.

     We accept His love. We accept His gift. We allow grace to overcome guilt. And we are His forever. He begins to lift us out of the muck. Lives change. Climbing out of the pit isn’t easy. As our heads peek out of the darkness, it’s difficult to see in the bright light. We squint, shield our gaze, but the warmth of the light feels good.

     Old habits die. New ones come to life. Bitterness fades. Forgiveness rises up. Jesus just won’t give up. He continues to lead us out of the pit, out of the muck. Our tastes are different. Oh, the pit looks enticing now and again. We glance back as we continue the difficult climb. We knew the dark. Everything was not so clear in the pit. Everything was not so, well…exposed.

     Jesus is doing a work in us. Over time, we are out. A little mud may remain around the edges, a tinge of muck is still stuck to our shoes, but we move on. In His light there is more light. As faith grows, as the image of Christ becomes like a mirror, our foundation becomes secure. We look around and sunshine has replaced the dark clouds. As our feet move out of the swamp and our fingers reach up, Jesus pulls us up to stand on the rock. He is the rock. It is a secure place to stand. We have protection from the storms around us. We see beauty in place of ashes.

     And others begin to recognize the new life, the new bounce in our step. The new shoes, the clean shiny ones without the muck attached to the soles, the praise on our lips, the coarse language gone. The sunglasses are gone. We adjust to the light. The temptation to slide back into the pit is there, but the choice is as clear as our souls. We choose faith. We choose the rock. We choose the new life, and others will be blessed. Others will ask. Others begin the climb. The view at the top is breathtaking.

Dear Lord,

The Words penned long before Your Son’s birth make the path to salvation so vivid, so true. You hear us, You guide us into new life and we are secure. Help us to sing this new song loud and clear. Lead othrs to those hymns of praise.

In Jesus’ name,

Amen