Scripture

I called on Your name, O LORD, from the lowest pit.

~Lamentations 3:55, LSB

Quote

Self-sufficency is a myth perpetuated by pride and the devil.

~Jack Young

Most of you can’t relate but I grew up in the 50’s when dug wells were common. We had one and so did our neighbors. Most of them were four feet square and thirty to thirty-five feet deep. To my knowledge, no one in this part of the country dug cisterns. Cistern were deep pits and many times lined with rocks and mortar. They were underground storage tanks for water. In Judah for example, it does not rain very much and when it does, they try to capture the run off by catching the water in cisterns. They still have them in Israel today, and of course they are products of modern fabrication that will hold millions of gallons.  I don’t know how deep they dug the ancient cisterns; it may not have been more than fifteen or twenty feet deep but they were deep enough that they could be used as a prison.

An example is found in Genesis 37:24, Then they took him {Joseph} and cast him into a pit. And the pit was empty; there was no water in it. Joseph’s evil brothers put him into a dry cistern. The verse at the beginning of the blog is in reference to Jeremiah being lowered into a cistern. Joseph was lowered into a dry cistern, but Jeremiah was sinking in mud. I think this is what David had in mind in Psalm 42…He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a Rock and gave me a firm place to stand. You probably do not understand the hopelessness of being lowered into a cistern {pit} and left there alone. There is no way out. No possibility of escape without help from above. You can’t jump out or climb out. A black man who was a slave in the court of king Zedekiah came to Jeremiah’s rescue. He and others pulled Jeremiah out of the mud. He was so deep in the mire and mud that they had to put rags under his arm pits to keep from hurting him.

What we have here is a graphic picture of salvation. David understood it. It is the LORD Jesus Christ who lifts us out of the mud and mirk and sets us on solid ground {Himself}. He is our only hope. I know people think they can do it on their own, but they can’t. We all need Jesus.

In loving kindness Jesus came
My soul in mercy to reclaim,
And from the depths of sin and shame
Through grace He lifted me.

From sinking sand He lifted me,
With tender hand He lifted me,
From shades of night to plains of light,
O praise His name, He lifted me!

You should be shouting about now!

Extra

Joe David sent us the video of the closing ceremonies of yesterday’s VBS and the gospel presentation by Shohn was one of the best I’ve ever heard. I was at the table eating lunch when I watched. I told June, come over here and look at this. It gave me goose bumps on my goose bumps. Shohn was not the first person on my list {years ago} when I was looking for a Children’s Director. We had just lost a good one and I had little hopes of replacing her. The first person I interviewed said candidly: “I am not the right person for the job but I can tell you who is,” and she mentioned Shohn. I don’t think Shohn was even a member when we hired her but she became one and now I have no idea how many years she has filled this position but she made me very thankful yesterday. I almost broke an arm patting myself of the back. If you look up VBS in the dictionary: Shohn and Mandy’s picture should be there–the dynamic duo. We were also watching to see Josie do the cannon ball in the ice water. That would have induced a heart attack had it been me. They had a great crowd and having a great school.

Ty is playing Basketball in Gunterville today and tomorrow. June will be a busy month.

I hope you have a great day and thanks for reading the blog.