I waited patiently for the Lord to help me,
and he turned to me and heard my cry.
He lifted me out of the pit of despair,
out of the mud and the mire.
He set my feet on solid ground
and steadied me as I walked along.
He has given me a new song to sing,
a hymn of praise to our God.
Many will see what he has done and be amazed.
They will put their trust in the Lord.
Psalm 40:1-3 (NLT)
Next week I’m leading a seminar entitled Anguish of the Soul at our Women’s Retreat. Each attendee received a list with a brief synopsis of the various offerings and chose two. Mine read:
David found himself caught in the darkness of the pit in Psalm 40 with no way out. In his anguish, he cried out to the Lord for help even as despair threatened to overwhelm him. God heard those pleas, pulled him out, and set his feet on firm ground. For some of us, that pit may come in the form of depression; slimy and dark that blots out all light, takes away joy, and leaves an unrelenting hopelessness in its wake. In the midst of the deep pain, loved ones are often confused and frightened as the murky shadows threaten to obscure any normalcy. I know because I’ve been there. Join me as we journey together from the dark moments of the soul into the light of God’s hope and help.
Eight women signed up and I know two. I’ve spent the week filtering through my notes and compiling my outline and handouts. My heart’s desire is to encourage these women and offer hope and knowledge as they walk either in the shadows or are in the pit themselves. It is a lonely place to be, often kept secret due to fear or shame. When I was walking that scary road, I didn’t know what was even going on; a name for it would have helped. My goal is to shine the light of God’s love and compassion to dispel those fears and help these ladies open up their hearts to His healing. God promises us solid ground and a new song after our time in the pit. My prayer is to get a new singing group going.