God Turn it Around
I put together this collage of items from our son's car accident. The back of the T-shirt he was wearing that day which had been cut away from his body. (He was employed by Sonic at the time.) A letter from a pastor at our church, and a picture of our son in his neck brace (broken neck) holding his English Bulldog recovery buddy he named Moses.
Has there been a time in your life where you proclaimed, "This is the pits."
Have you been in a position, so deep in your woes that you felt there was no way out?
When one of our sons was trapped in our car after it flipped 4 times on an interstate someone sent him Psalm 40:1-3, 13
I waited patiently for the Lord; he inclined to me and heard my cry. He drew me up from the pit of destruction, out of the miry bog, and set my feet upon a rock, making my steps secure. He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God. Many will see and fear, and put their trust in the Lord...O Lord, to deliver me! O Lord, make haste to help me!
A pastor from the church we attended at that time sent Psalm 18:4-8, in the photo collage above.
The cords of death encompassed me; the torrents of destruction assailed me; the cords of Sheol entangled me; the snares of death confronted me. In my distress I called upon the Lord; to my God I cried for help. From his temple he heard my voice, and my cry to him reached his ears.
Whether in a pit or a palace God is always with us. He's never out of earshot.
While listening to our daughter's harp music last week, seeking the Lord, I was taken back to 1973 when my grandfather was murdered and eleven days later I found my beloved grandmother dead from a heart attack. I was 16 years old and called to the dean's office at the high school I attended. My sister, who is seven years older and was married with a child at that time, sat in the office. Our parents were in Germany at the time of the murder. The dean explained she was taking me home because our grandfather had been murdered.
The vision God showed me was of me sitting alone on my canopy bed processing what had happened. We had a live in housekeeper who was there in the house with me. It took 2 days for my parents to return from Germany. The Lord was reminding me, that even in the pits of being alone for those two traumatic events, He was with me and I did not feel afraid.
Over the years I've walked through the shadows of death of many beloved family members. I've been in shock and panicked at times, but my fears have been overcome because of the presence of the Lord.
A friend from church sent this writing by Kimberly Henderson who writes a blog called "Learning to Live for His Glory." She offers a free download to print off this entry on her site titled "Praying You Through." I've posted below. It literally made me cry remember that there is a transformative process taking place and a purpose for the pits of life that move us closer towards Christ's likeness. Let's look for God's promises when we are in the pits.
Praying You Through
I would have pulled Joseph out. Out of that pit. Out of that prison. Out of that pain. And I would have cheated nations out of the one God would use to deliver them from famine.
I would have pulled David out. Out of Saul’s spear-throwing presence. Out of the caves he hid away in. Out of the pain of rejection. And I would have cheated Israel out of a God-hearted king.
I would have pulled Esther out. Out of being snatched from her only family. Out of being placed in a position she never asked for. Out of the path of a vicious, power-hungry foe. And I would have cheated a people out of the woman God would use to save their very lives.
And I would have pulled Jesus off. Off of the cross. Off of the road that led to suffering and pain. Off of the path that would mean nakedness and beatings, nails and thorns. And I would have cheated the entire world out of a Savior. Out of salvation. Out of an eternity filled with no more suffering and no more pain.
And oh friend. I want to pull you out. I want to change your path. I want to stop your pain. But right now I know I would be wrong. I would be out of line. I would be cheating you and cheating the world out of so much good. Because God knows. He knows the good this pain will produce.
He knows the beauty this hard will grow. He’s watching over you and keeping you even in the midst of this. And He’s promising you that you can trust Him. Even when it all feels like more than you can bear.
So instead of trying to pull you out, I’m lifting you up. I’m kneeling before the Father, and I’m asking Him to give you strength. To give you hope. I’m asking Him to protect you and to move you when the time is right. I’m asking Him to help you stay prayerful and discerning. I’m asking Him how I can best love you and be a help to you. And I’m believing He’s going to use your life in powerful and beautiful ways. Ways that will leave your heart grateful and humbly thankful for this road you’ve been on.
Kimberly D. Henderson, 2017 ©
Jon Reddick's song "God Turn it Around" is the perfect combo to use with this to encourage someone who feels as if they are in a pit right now and they are unable to see God's purpose in the pitfalls.
"I'm calling on the name of Jesus to turn it around. All of my hope is in the name of Jesus. Breakthrough will come in the name of Jesus."
The Song
"God Turn it Around" Jon Reddick
