Three Not-So-Easy Steps

Back to getting out of the pit:
The Bible gives us three steps to get out of this 'pit'. Ironically, they all involve our mouth. Since this is a Christian study, they (or course) all start with the same letter...

• Cry out
• Confess
• Consent

1. Cry out:

• "He turned to me and heard my cry" ~Psalm 40:1
• "His (God's) refusal to bend to our will may at first seem uncompassionate in light of all we've endured, but He's pushing for the best thing that could ever happen to us..." ~Beth Moore
• "He will deliver the needy who cry out" ~Psalm 72:12
• "He does not ignore the cry of the afflicted..." ~Psalm 9:12
• "To the Lord I cry aloud, and He answers me from His holy hill" ~Psalm 3:4

It's simple, really. God knows we need Him, but He wants us to realize we need Him. He longs for us to call to Him and promises to come to our rescue. Like I read earlier, "The Lord longs to be gracious to you: He rises to show you compassion..." (Isaiah 30:18). What are we waiting for? CRY OUT to HIM...how can anyone rescue you they don't know you need rescuing?

2. Confess

• "The Lord is near to all who call on Him, to all who call on Him in truth. " ~Psalm 145:18
• "Confession, by the way, is incomplete until we actively accept God's certain forgiveness...we will never stay out of that pit until we believe all the way to the marrow of our bones that God has forgiven us." ~Beth Moore

Why do we struggle with wondering and hoping that God has forgiven us? He tells us that He keeps us from the pit of destruction and puts all our sins behind His back (Isaiah 38:17)! With our past behind God's back, the only way we can get to that sin again is to go through Him. Do you trust God enough to allow His merciful forgiveness in your life? Then confess your sin to Him.

3. Consent
1 John 5:14-15 reads, "This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that he hears us (and He just said He does!) - whatever we ask - we know that we have what we asked of Him". To me, this verse says that we can have confidence that if we are in God's will, He will hear us and give us what we ask of Him according to His will! And what is His will? For us to get out (and stay out) of the pit.

Beth Moore suggested that since all three of these steps have to do with our mouths, that we utilize our mouth in getting out of the pit. Cry out in prayer confessing to God and read God's word out loud. After all, the Bible says that faith comes from hearing the word of Christ (Romans 10:17). There are prayers written out in the back of this book (Getting Out of the Pit by Beth Moore) that are full of Scriptures. Praying these out loud is powerful. Nothing injures Satan more than a mighty swipe from the Sword of the Spirit.

• "Don't let up when you begin to feel better. Feeling better is not what we're after. The goal is freedom from the pit for the rest of your life." ~Beth Moore
• "Praise the Lord, O my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name. Praise the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits-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." ~Psalm 103:1-5

Lord, what more can I ask for? You are ready to forgive, heal, and cleanse me out of this pit! You want to redeem me...and crown me? with love? I am completely undeserving. Your mercy and grace is incomprehensible. You long to satisfy...let me open wide!