February 13, 2017
DOWN IN A PIT? THERE IS A HAND WAITING TO PULL YOU OUT!
Psalm 30
Mark Livingston
Central Truth
Our God is so powerful He can take care of any sickness, problem, or struggle we have. Even the ones we create. All we have to do is reach out. He is listening and waiting.
Key Verse | Psalm 30:3
O Lord, you have brought up my soul from Sheol;
you restored me to life from among those who go down to the pit.
(Psalm 30:3)
Psalm 30
Joy Comes with the Morning
A Psalm of David. A song at the dedication of the temple.
1
I will extol you, O LORD, for you have drawn me up
and have not let my foes rejoice over me.
2
O LORD my God, I cried to you for help,
and you have healed me.
3
O LORD, you have brought up my soul from Sheol;
you restored me to life from among those who go down to the pit.
1
30:3
Or to life, that I should not go down to the pit
4
Sing praises to the LORD, O you his saints,
and give thanks to his holy name.
2
30:4
Hebrew to the memorial of his holiness (see Exodus 3:15)
5
For his anger is but for a moment,
and his favor is for a lifetime.
3
30:5
Or and in his favor is life
Weeping may tarry for the night,
but joy comes with the morning.
6
As for me, I said in my prosperity,
“I shall never be moved.”
7
By your favor, O LORD,
you made my mountain stand strong;
you hid your face;
I was dismayed.
8
To you, O LORD, I cry,
and to the Lord I plead for mercy:
9
“What profit is there in my death,
4
30:9
Hebrew in my blood
if I go down to the pit?
5
30:9
Or to corruption
Will the dust praise you?
Will it tell of your faithfulness?
10
Hear, O LORD, and be merciful to me!
O LORD, be my helper!”
11
You have turned for me my mourning into dancing;
you have loosed my sackcloth
and clothed me with gladness,
12
that my glory may sing your praise and not be silent.
O LORD my God, I will give thanks to you forever!
Dive Deeper | Psalm 30
God is so good! He is in the business of redeeming lives! When I signed up to write a devotional, I thought I was going to pump out some awesome anecdote or some really cool metaphor that would make the earth shake. Turns out, I’m not an English major, and writing is not my game. But when I saw verse 3, I knew what I had write: my story of redemption and how God is using me for good.
From the time I was 15 until I was 30, I lived by my own rules. I drank, did drugs, and chased women. I lived my life in a pit. I was invited to a church service by a friend, and, when I showed up, I thought I was going to catch fire. (I didn’t.) I heard a guy talking about his story, and it sounded extremely familiar. It was not what I was expecting. I actually sat and listened fully. At the end, he said how it all changed by giving his life to Jesus. I went home and thought hard about what he said. All of that was planned by God to have me in that auditorium that night. It was God reaching down into the pit and offering His hand. He was telling me that there is another way to live.
My climb out of this pit was not easy or quick. It took me over a year to realize that accepting Christ was the only way to be truly pulled from the pit. God was with me the whole way, and He gave me the help I needed. He gave me the strength to live a life that had purpose and meaning. He put others in my life who spoke truth to me.
I am not done yet. Perhaps Paul said it best in Philippians 3:14 (NIV): "I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus."
I didn’t shake the earth in writing this, but God shook MY world for the better. Has He shaken yours?
Discussion Questions
1. What pits have you been stuck in? How did God pull you out of those pits?
2. How can you use your personal story of salvation to help others? God can use your story of grace to help others in your life. Will you let Him?
3. What areas of your life are keeping you from climbing out of the pit and living the life you were called to?