Editor’s
journey
Rescued
from the pit — the mosh pit
SPRINGFIELD, MO. —
At a Christian concert some years ago, I found myself surrounded
by hundreds of young people who were jostling to the music. We
were packed in close to the stage, shoulder to shoulder, when
some of the kids began hurling themselves at one another as if
slam dancing in a “mosh pit.”
One kid tried to push
me into the pit, but fortunately another grabbed my shirt and
pulled me back before I could be run over by a 250-pound linebacker-type.
I can assure you, I’ve never ventured anywhere near a mosh
pit since.
Psalm 103:2-6 refers
to a pit of a different kind — one dug by difficult circumstances:
“Praise the
Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits — who forgives
all your sins and heals all your diseases, who redeems your life
from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion, who satisfies
your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like
the eagle’s. The Lord works righteousness and justice for
all the oppressed” (NIV).
At one time or another,
we all feel like we’re living in a pit. We feel alone, forsaken
and trapped. Perhaps our bank account is empty, relationships
have soured, our health has waned or our job isn’t bringing
fulfillment. In other words, smiles and laughter have given way
to furrowed brows and frequent tears.
It’s during
these dark and lonely pit experiences that the Lord reaches down
and pulls us out. Thankfully He won’t let us stay in the
“pit of difficult circumstances” forever. We can take
comfort in knowing that He sees our tears and hears our pleas
for help. As Psalm 103 promises, a day is coming when He will
come to our rescue and satisfy us with “good things”
so we can once again fly like an eagle — full of “love
and compassion.”
Hal Donaldson
E-mail your comments
to pe@ag.org.
