Remember that classic commercial? Although we've all mocked it endlessly, that slogan was a smashing success by marketing standards! More than a decade later, we still quote it.
Most of us probably haven't experienced this literally (at least not YET), but have you ever felt that way, metaphorically speaking? Have you had your foot ensnared in a net, or have you fallen into a pit...of either your own or someone else's making...and felt that you would never escape? Maybe it was a pit of loss, loneliness, sorrow, temptation or sin.
I find that when I'm in one of those traps or pits, there are 2 antithetical ways to cry out, "I've fallen and I can't get up!" The first is a cry of hopelessness in which I wallow in the fate or folly that led to my falling. This buries me in a quagmire of self-pity, grief, bitterness...even despair. Like being trapped in the proverbial quicksand, the harder I fight against it, the deeper I sink. The more fiercely I pull to force my foot out of the trap, the wider and deeper the wound gets. Then I become angry and sullen that I cannot escape or pick myself up. Yet none of this frees me. I remain trapped and hopeless.
The second way is to cry out in faith as the Psalmist does, pleading with God to pluck my foot out of the net, to dig me out of the pit and set my feet on level ground. This kind of crying out acknowledges that "I've fallen and I can't get up...ON MY OWN!!" I plead for mercy, confessing my helplessness and despair, but also confessing my confidence in the Lord. And then...I wait...patiently...for the Lord's deliverance. This forces me to recognize the end of my self-sufficiency and to face my absolute need for Christ and for His people. To say that my help comes from Yahweh is to say that it comes from outside myself. No more pulling myself up by the bootstraps. No more "I can fix this," attitude.
Cry out. Trust. And wait. Deliverance will come. Afterall...He promised.
3 comments:
And because of the curse, our fallen state, our flesh that says " I can, or I will" then the trap is set: self-sufficiency! But isn't our God so wise and knowing all, waits for the "CRY" from His children. He, and only He can deliver us from this "state". I say, Lord....when will I learn this? How many times MUST I learn this? This is how my FAITH is perfected....."have Mercy then Oh God!! Love ya Sis, I love you very Much!
I have to learn this over and over again. And you know, for me, the waiting part is hard...when He doesn't rescue immediately, I find my faith was momentary and begin to fight again. Surely I must DO something!! Patience is a difficult lesson to learn.
Lord, I believe...help my unbelief! Love you too, Trina!
Thanks for the good words, Lori. It is humbling to have to keep learning this over and over again, but it is daily for me.
I thought of the Rich Mullins' song, "My Deliverer" when I read your post.
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