Pit Jumper-Inners

I guess I have been putting off this next chapter because I am so guilty of being what I have termed a 'pit jumper-inner'. To me, this is the worst pit possible. You have a full awareness that what you are going to do is completely wrong, but you do it anyways. You don't care what the consequences are, you just want to do your own thing because it 'feels good'.

Winding up in these pits is usually a result of placing someone in an unworthy place in your life that is "either a wimp or a fraud". We must remember that God is neither one of these, and He is most worthy of the highest place in our lives.

"When all is said and done, you, like me, probably do what you do because you want to. You ordinarily jump into a pit because you like the trip. No, you don't necessarily like the cost but, like all vacations, a great trip can be worth the expense. It looks good. It feels good. Or it tastes good. It just doesn't last nearly long enough, which is why we come back and take the next trip"
~Beth Moore~

Job 33:29-30 says:
"God does all these things to a man-
twice, even three times-
to turn back his soul from the pit,
that the light of life may shine on him."

Though God gives us warnings, we choose to avoid them Basically, we stick our fingers in our ears before we jump into the pit. Jumping is the "most dangerous and the most supremely...consequential". God examines our motives and our character, and both of these are out of whack when we choose to jump into a pit. He doesn't look at simply what we did and how we did it, but why we did it.

1 Chronicles 28:9 says,
"the Lord searches every heart
and understands every motive
behind the thoughts"

Psalm 19:13 says,
"Keep your servant from willful sins;
do not let them rule over me.
Then I will be innocent,
and be cleansed from blatant rebellion.

These 'willful sins' and 'blatant rebellion' are what drive us to jump into a pit. The only way to get out is through a deep repentance - turning of the heart and mind - and healing from the Lord. Without this change of heart and healing from the Father, we will soon revert back to our old ways.

Beth Moore points out the Greek translation for the 'evil desire' mentioned in James 1:13-15 is epithumia which means 'deformed desire'. This is referred to in Isaiah 44:20:

"He feeds on ashes, a deluded heart misleads him;
he cannot save himself, or say;
'Is not this thing in my right hand a lie?'"

Our only hope is the Lord Jesus Christ who can save us from these pits. We must go to Him with a willing and repentive mind and heart and be ready for His healing. Psalm 40:8 reminds us that our delight is in the Lord and His law is within our hearts. The desire to jump into a pit shows our deep distrust of God. We think that, like others in our lives, He will cheat us and betray us, but this is not so!

Ephesians 4:27 warns:
"Do not give the devil a foothold"

It is not too late...even if Satan has wounded you, he hasn't devoured you.

"He got the leg, but he's never gotten the thigh, though goodness knows he wanted it. I may walk with a spiritual limp, but thanks be to God, who holds me up and encourages me to lean on Him, at least I can walk. So can you. Walk away from that pit before its the death of you."
~Beth Moore~

Lord, let my hope and trust be in You as I live my life for Your delight! Let me trust you and know that You will not fail me...Do not allow Satan to have a single toe in the doorway of my life. Your mercies are new every morning...blessed is Your name!