Devotionals for the Heart: The Pit

Reminders from the Pit
A devotional by Glynis Becker

“I waited patiently for the LORD; And He inclined to me and heard my cry. He brought me up out of the pit of destruction, out of the miry clay, And He set my feet upon a rock making my footsteps firm. He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God; Many will see and fear And will trust in the LORD.”
–Psalm 40:1-3 (NASB)

When my daughter was in high school, she took the opportunity to play flute in the pit orchestra for the spring musical. If you have any experience with musical scores then you know that especially for large productions like that, each musician is only given the notes he or she needs for a particular instrument.

For weeks and weeks they practiced the music as an orchestra, until it was time to add in the vocalists. She came home one day and said, “I didn’t even know some of those pieces had words!” Layering the vocals on top of the orchestra created a blend that made the music she was already enjoying even more spectacular. It became brand-new and exciting again.

Being in the “pit” also means that the musicians can’t see the actors. They can hear what’s going on, but have to rely on their conductor more closely than they might otherwise in order to keep pace and make the performance as enjoyable as possible for the audience.

Many stories in the Bible have characters who have landed themselves in a “pit,” either literally or figuratively. Think Joseph (Genesis 37), David (1 Samuel), Elijah (1 Kings 19), and Jonah. Sometimes it was someone else’s action that led them to the pit, like Joseph’s brothers selling him to traders; sometimes it was the person’s own doing, like the choice of Jonah not to follow the Lord’s leading.

In those most difficult moments, down in the pit, they needed to believe that they were playing a part that only they could play, and that God knew what the end would be. Each of those men relied on God and eventually something beautiful came from their situations.

As believers we are very much like those musicians in the pit. We have a partial score of what God (our conductor) is doing in the world. We only see what He shows us, but we need to trust that He knows the beauty that is to come. We need to keep our eyes on Him intently, watch for His leading, trusting that in the right time, as we walk with Him, He will lead us and our fellow players through this life: an exhilarating performance.

And someday, when glory comes, the opening night will surely be one for the ages!

Let’s Pray: Father God, please show me how to trust You more than I do today, to let You lead the way even if I can’t see where I’m going. You will bring beauty from ashes and order from chaos, because that is Who You are. Be with me today. I pray in Jesus’s holy name I pray, Amen.

~*~
Author Bio:

Glynis Becker writes devotions and inspirational fiction, hoping someday to have a published novel on her resume. 

She has co-written several screenplays, including the film Sinking Sand, available on DVD and digital streaming.

Glynis, whose childhood was spent all over the country as an Air Force brat, has called South Dakota home for many years, along with her husband and two teenage children.

When she’s not writing or reading, she is watching more television than she should and crocheting. You can find her at www.glynisbecker.com.