Have you ever felt like you had been thrown into a lion’s den knowing the lions were hungry and ready to eat? Be honest, I’m sure you have felt that way at one point in time. I know I have. Matter of fact, I feel like I live down there with the lions a lot of times. Every day, I wake up surprised to still be alive but at the same time in awe of my Savior that continues to shut the lion’s mouth. That doesn’t mean that it is not a nasty place to be. Imagine, living there among the bones, fecal matter, and smelly lions in the dark, alone, or what you thought was alone.
While in the pit, at first people that I have helped over the years came to see me but visiting someone in a pit soon grows old. They have their own lives to take care of and honestly, I don’t blame them. I wouldn’t want to come visit the pit either.
As I began to feel sorry for myself in that dark pit, I realized that I was not really alone. He is with me. I had forgotten that Jesus promised us that if we believe in Him, He would never leave us. He that closed the mouth of the lions was sitting there waiting for me to look up and realize what would come next.
Scripture gives us a preview of what is coming for those of us that remember who is really in charge.
Daniel 6: 23b. “And when Daniel was lifted from the den, no wound was found on him, because he had trusted in his God.”
But does that mean I am out of the pit, the turmoil? Certainly not. What it does mean is that I am assured that if I trust in Him and the promises He has given me I will be lifted from my pit. As for today, I get to sit and listen, truly listen to Jesus and what He has to say just to me. How lucky I am to get to spend hours in His presence- even while I am still in the pit.
Psalm 103: 3-5 “who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion, who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.”
Precious ones, if you are like me and seem to be living in the pit, as hard as it is please take some time today to thank God not just for the pit, but for the promise that He has given you to be lifted from it.