Do SOMETHING!!!
“I waited patiently for the LORD; and He inclined to me, and heard my cry. He also brought me up out of a horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my steps.” (Psalm 40:1-2 - NKJV)
This is a verse which is familiar to many people. By “familiar” I mean that many people have heard it. I’m not sure how many have meditated on it or even dug deep into it.
I’ve been thinking about it a lot lately.
For many, this is a stressful season in history but, really, life on earth is almost always stressful in some ways. There have ALWAYS been challenges and trials and hassles. Sometimes, even, persecution.
“Consider it all joy, my brethren, WHEN you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance.” (James 1:2-3 – NASB – caps are mine)
It’s significant that James says “WHEN you encounter various trials” and not “if”. There WILL be trials. And when we encounter those, especially if we find ourselves in a season of struggle, it will sometimes feel just like we are stuck…helpless to move…with our feet trapped in miry (sticky and slippery) clay.
If you’ve ever been stuck like that in clay…or in some life experience which has trapped you…you know that it feels hopeless and that you almost never can get free without help. You can’t save yourself…but you CAN do something.
This is an important topic to consider because so many people, including Christians, seem to opt to either remain completely passive or to longingly consider running away and escaping the trials.
BOTH options keep people in bondage.
Of course, passivity does because we just flounder in hopelessness, remaining in the trial. In the second case, we remain in bondage because when the devil sees us run in fear and panic he enjoys that; therefore, he simply keeps the trials coming.
Free entertainment for the enemy of our souls.
So, what CAN we do?
“I waited patiently for the LORD; and He inclined to me, and heard my cry. He also brought me up out of a horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my steps.” (Psalm 40:1-2 - NKJV)
We can do two important things:
1) WAIT and not just wait…but WAIT PATIENTLY…and
2) Cry out to the Lord.
Let’s look at these to make sure we know what they mean.
The term “wait patiently” in the Hebrew is really one word. It is the word qāwāh (pronounced kaw-vaw'). It is a verb meaning to wait for, to look for, to hope for. The root meaning is that of binding ourselves to someone with strand of cord or rope. We would only do that if we were confident that it would benefit us to do so.
The same word is used in this familiar verse and where it is translated to “wait on the Lord”:
“But those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.” (Isaiah 40:31)
So, to wait on the Lord doesn’t have to do with a kneejerk reaction to a surprise crisis. Rather, it has to do with something we have set in place in our lives BEFORE the crisis or trial ever comes along. Why do we “bind ourselves” to God? Because we trust Him and know HE can do things which we cannot.
When we confessed Jesus as our Lord we said we wanted this. However, most people never hear this in an altar call and, therefore, they never cognitively assent to this relationship of dependency upon Him.
If this truth bothers you as much as it does me you can thank the mechanization of simple Christianity, devolving it into what some of us refer to as “institutional Christianity”. So few of our brothers and sisters in Christ ever trust in the Lord with their whole hearts…or even some of their hearts. And, instead of running with God and not becoming weary (Isaiah 40:31), they are exhausted, disheartened and overwhelmed.
No wonder so many remain passive…resigned to miserable lives…or, worse, run away from Jesus, other believers in an attempt to run away from satan’s constant onslaught of trials.
“I waited patiently for the LORD; and He inclined to me, and heard my cry. He also brought me up out of a horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my steps.” (Psalm 40:1-2 - NKJV)
The second thing we can do when we find ourselves in a hopeless place is to cry out to the Lord.
That term “cry out” means to call out asking for deliverance or rescue. The word Messiah, one of Jesus’ names, refers to Him as deliverer and rescuer from bondage.
Jesus can do for us what we are unable to do.
Faith is not a passive lifestyle at all. If you have ever tried to resist running away from problems or trying to save yourself, you know how much effort that takes!
My experience is that when I have been stuck in the “miry clay”, the more I struggled the deeper I sank in it. The same is true for the various forms of miry clay life can send our way.
We cannot save ourselves - otherwise Jesus could have stayed home.
What we need to do is cry out to Him.
“I waited patiently for the LORD; and He inclined to me, and heard my cry. He also brought me up out of a horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my steps.” (Psalm 40:1-2 - NKJV)
Then, when He inclines to us, we will receive His saving. He will lift us from the pit and whatever frustrating and overwhelming miry clay in which we are trapped (in HIS timing), set us down on a solid place in which we can get our footing AND establish our steps.
And, you would think that is enough; but, there is more:
“He has put a new song in my mouth - Praise to our God; many will see it and fear, and will trust in the LORD.” (Psalm 40:3)
God will transform our past crisis into our present testimony. Instead of constantly complaining about, cursing and bemoaning our bad situation, our mouths will now pour forth songs praising our loving Father in heaven.
THIS is a beautiful form of evangelism because what satan meant for evil in our lives God will turn to good (Genesis 50:20) and will bring hope to others who are also under attack from the devil.
This is written in hopes that more will choose to trust in the Lord than in their own devices.
Amen!
Pastor Mike McInerney
Mike McInerney Ministries, Inc.
Decatur, TX 76234
© May 25, 2024
For use with permission
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