Through Christ, God has made it possible for those who put their trust in Him to be changed. The changes He makes impact every facet of life. They dramatically impact our current life and hope and the future that we have been promised in Christ.
John 1:12-13 NKJV But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
It is amazing what God can do.
Through Jesus Christ, He can make radical changes that are necessary to fulfill His purpose and destiny for us. You do not have to live below what God has intended for your life because God has the power to transform your life. Through Christ’s finished work, you can have help, release and victory over previous hurts, secret pains, sins and failures. He has the answer for your past destructions and losses. God can really bring change.
Even if we go down into the pits of despair, God can get us out.
This is good news for all of us, but it is especially good news if you are burdened, oppressed or feel hopeless. God can get you out. This is the reason the Psalmist wrote Psalms 40.
Psalms 40:1-3 NKJV “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. 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.”
Do you know what it feels like to be stuck in a pit? Have you ever got down and did not know how to get up?
God’s man, Jeremiah was down in a dungeon.
The word dungeon means “a pit, well, or cistern.” He had been faithful to God, but they took Jeremiah and cast him into a dungeon. Sometimes that happens. You do the right thing and nobody likes what you did. Jeremiah was in a pit that had no water, but the floor was sticky soft mud. He sunk down into the mire up to his armpits and there was no way he could get out. He was stuck in the pit. Some people think bad things only happen to bad people. Jeremiah was in the pit because he was doing what was right. The situation was so horrible that the king thought the man of God would die.
In Jeremiah 38:10 King Zedekiah commanded Ebed-Melech the Ethiopian to: ‘Take thirty men with him, and lift Jeremiah the prophet out of the dungeon before he dies.’
Have you noticed how easy it is to get into trouble by yourself?
It took thirty men to get him out of the pit. Are you stuck in the pit of unfortunate circumstances and situations? Do you need to get out of the pit of continual physical distresses? Have you tried to get out of the pit of spiritual deadness? Have you tried to get out of the pit of sin?
There is One Who is able to help you.
When you get in the pit, you need to lift up your eyes to the only One who can help you. You need to turn your eyes upward. There is a God in heaven that can help you.
Psalms 40:1 NKJV “I waited patiently for the LORD; And He inclined to me, And heard my cry.
The Psalmist said He waited patiently.
Is patiently waiting sitting in silence? Maybe you think you have to be silent and content with what is happening to wait patiently. Do you get the picture in your mind of sitting on the front porch with a glass of lemonade, swatting flies…“I’m waiting patiently?”
While he was patiently waiting on the Lord the text says, “God inclined to me and heard my cry…” That shatters a lot of silence.
Have you ever listened to someone crying? That shatters a lot of our opinions about patiently waiting. He was crying out to the Lord. While he was in the pit, he cried out to God in his distresses. “Lord, help and have mercy on me, I’m down in this pit. Can you get me out or do anything to help me?”
The Psalmist said: “He heard My cry.”
That is enough to make you rejoice. He inclined to me and heard my cry. The Hebrew word for inclined means “stretched forth, bowed down, outstretched, extended, bent low.”
I am so glad that the Lord is able to reach down to where we are.
Some hear you cry, see your situation, and leave you alone. They walk by on the other side or turn away. They see you have a problem but refuse to get involved.
Look at what happens when the Lord hears your cry.
Psalms 40:2 NKJV 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.
When the Lord heard my cry, He did something.
Some have been in a horrible pit and in the miry clay, BUT, the Lord brought them out. Has the Lord brought you out?
Many have been brought out, but they are still a mess.
Have you been saved, but you still need help? Have you conquered that addiction, but you still need help? Have you got over that last greatest thing, but you still need help?
What is your true condition? Are you out of the pit but the pit is not out of you? Are you carrying evidences of the pit you were in?
The Psalmist said, “He brought me out and set my feet upon a rock, and established my steps.”
Psalms 40:3 NKJV 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.”
What kind of song do you have in your heart? Are you singing about your aching broken heart? Is your song about all of your troubles and losses? That is not God’s plan for your life. God wants to bring you out with joy and gladness.
God had a plan for Jeremiah’s life that was greater than the pit.
Jeremiah 1:5 NKJV “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; Before you were born I sanctified you; I ordained you a prophet to the nations.”
God has a plan for your life.
Jeremiah was stuck down in that pit and could not get out. When you cannot find a way, and you cannot change things on your own, turn it over to Jesus. When you realize you cannot get out on your own, turn it over to Jesus. Invite the Lord to go to work in your life.
Hebrews 7:25 NKJV He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.
Jesus Christ has the power to get you out and change your life.
Salvation relates to your destiny with God. God has an eternal purpose for you. He has a plan to meet you around His throne in glory.
In 2 Corinthians 12:9, the Lord says, “My grace is sufficient for you.”
God’s power is not intimidated by your circumstances.
Your condition is not too great for God to handle. He has more than enough to handle whatever you are facing. God considers you to be an important part of His plan. He knows how to achieve His goals for your life. Human limitations and situations cannot hinder God’s ability. The depth of your past or present circumstances cannot deter His work.
Do you remember the Prodigal Son?
He was a son of destiny. He had an inheritance and position in his father’s house.
When he walked away from home, he got away from his destiny.
He was not made to eat pig’s food. He did that because he wanted to. He could have turned around and gone back home. He was in the pig pen because he was rebellious. He chose to go that direction. When he walked away from home, he was headed toward disaster and ruin.
The Prodigal Son was destitute, hungry and broken when he was standing in the pig pen.
Luke 15:17 “But when he came to himself…”Don’t die in the pig pen. Don’t give up if you are in the pit. You may be down today, but God is ready to do something in your life to get things right.
Some people do not believe that God wants to change things for them.
Change is a gift from God.
When the Prodigal came to himself, he realized there was a better way. He did not have to die in that condition.
The Bible calls change repentance.
Repentance is God’s gift to the struggling heart to change the thoughts, attitudes, direction, and destination. The Lord wants to bring you to a place of safety and shelter.
God has sent the Holy Spirit to help you make this change.
Without the Holy Spirit’s help, you can search and search and still not get out. The Lord will show the place of repentance to those who hunger and thirst after righteousness. You have to want to change. The Spirit of God will take you into places you cannot get with years of struggle on your own. You can never know how to do what He can do. He knows how to change lives.
When you realize that you need help and cannot fix it yourself…call out to God for grace and mercy.
God gives the grace that is needed to make the changes that we cannot make with our own strength.
The Bible tells us Esau looked and could not find a place of repentance.
He wanted a blessing, but found no place for repentance. He knew things were wrong, but He could not make them right. You cannot do this on your own, you need the Holy Spirit’s help. Knowing things are wrong is not enough. You need God’s grace and mercy to help you.
God knows exactly what He wants for your life.
Romans 8:29 tells us we are “predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son.” This word ‘conformed’ means “to be changed into a similar form or nature.” God wants to make a change in us. He wants the image of Christ to be formed in our lives.
You may be shaped into something less than what God wants.
God has made specific provisions for you. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, God will transform every aspect of your being. He will change the way you think and act. He will renew your mind. (Ephesians 4:23, Romans 12:2) He will bring into your life and body the change you are needing. Ultimately, a change will come and our bodies will be conformed into the likeness of Christ’s glorious body, (Philippians 3:21).
If you need a change, God is ready.
