Getting out of Your Pit

You can get out.  I mean you.  Can’t deal with it, you need to get out.

Here is the catch:  You can’t get yourself out. Remember the number 1 characteristic of a Pit?  Mud and mire.

You are stuck.  You can’t do it alone.

Two options: human help or opt for God.  Human help sound good.  You can see, hear, and respond to a person.  They can help.  But help alone is not what we’re talking about. Yes,  God meant for people to offer one another a helping hand.

The trouble comes when we insist upon someone equally human becoming our deliverer.  Physically they could pull you out but they can’t set your free.

The Word of God tells us God raised up men like Moses and Joshua as leaders, deliverers, yet the Nation still eventual defaulted to its old pattern.  Not trusting or believing God.

Isaiah 30:15 “In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength, but you would have  none of it.”

We are the same.  Rather than humble ourselves and do what is required for true protection and restoration, like the Israelites, we call upon Egyptian for protection.

Back stroking to Egyptian is a phrase I heard years ago to describe our journey of returning to human strength rather than leaning on the only true deliverer.  Read Isaiah: 30:1-3,5 for God response to Israel.

Try as much as we can, people simply can not by Devine.  Can’t set us free.  Can’t set our feet on a rock.

Human help allows us to be a victim.  Not God.  very thin.  He knows all we are, all we feel and all we hide.  God over flows with love and willingness to deliver us.

Again Isaiah 30:18 “The Lord longs to be gracious; He rises to show us compassion”  also “His love endures forever.”  We need a Deliver who is in for the long haul.  You and I need a strong and a long arm to reach to the bottom of our pit.

When we count on a person rather than God, and they grow tired and weary, they let you down.  You’ve worn them out.  It can be devastating.  Can ruin a relationship.

When a faithful friend hangs in there with you for months, even years, you might reason that at least they didn’t sell you off into slavery.  Well, yes they did.

That’s called “Codependency”.

In this scenario they jumped on the wagon to Egypt with you.  Luke 6:39 “Can the blind guide the blind?  Shall they not both fall into a pit? (ASV)

God has left us former pit-dwellers here on earth to have a tremendous impact over a life in the pit.

• By example
• By prayer
• By encouragement
• By directing them to Jesus
• By sharing the wisdom God gave us.  Counseling and advice:  Remember Professional counseling is not your job.

Isaiah 43:11 “I, even I, am the Lord…apart from me there is no savior”.

Beth wonders if maybe you feel this chapter wasn’t meant for you.  Maybe you can’t think of a single time you made someone else responsible for your happiness…your wholeness…your fulfillment…your healing… your future.

Maybe the fog has cleared on a relationship you believed at one time would be a deliverance of sorts for you.  Instead, you were left disillusioned or disappointed when the person dropped the rope.

That is what happens when we use Human help rather than God’s.  Maybe you can allow God to bring you to the place to forgive that person for failing to be Jesus for you.

Or maybe you should fire someone who still insists on trying.  Maybe you, like me, can now forgive yourself for accidentally setting someone up for failure.  Maybe that some was you.  And maybe both of us could just let Jesus be Jesus.

Great chapter for me.  I have been on both ends of Codependency.  It’s not a fun place to be.  Your pit feel more like drowning with no help.  I am a recovering Codependent.  I consider it just as dangerous as an addict with a drug.  I have done several Celebrate Recovery type classes over the years.

My God had restored me and I see the pit falls and know now how to avoid them.  Praise God!  That’s just one pit.  I still have more.  Ugh!

Looking forward to your thoughts and comment.  See you Friday for Chapter 6.

 

 

 

 

 

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