LOVE LIFTED ME
I am not too familiar with quicksand. I have never encountered quicksand and I prefer to keep things that way. Granted, I have been stuck in what some folks refer to as “gumbo” mud which sucked my boots right off my feet upon my exit from the situation but quicksand is entirely different. My perspective on quicksand is limited primarily to movies that portray a character that stepped in the wrong spot, became caught and began sinking.
Being a bit curious, I did some quick research and found some tips for surviving quicksand. A few of these survival tips include (1) Be as still as possible, (2) Call for help; (3) Lighten your load by removing anything that may cause you to sink faster, (4) Grab onto something such as the hand of a friend.
Have you ever felt like you are mired in a pool of quicksand? You are stuck. You are sinking. You have little hope of freeing yourself. The tips for surviving quicksand are also applicable for the challenges of life. For the Christian, Dependence on God summarizes how to survive the quicksand of life.
The psalmist admonishes us to “Be still, and know that I am God” (Psa. 46:10) because “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble” (Psa. 46:1). Recognizing further his need for and dependence on God to help combat the quicksand of life in which he was stuck and sinking, the psalmist uttered a call for help when he prayed “…in your great love, O God, answer me with your sure salvation. Rescue me from the mire, do not let me sink…” (Psa. 69:13-14).
The writer of Hebrews understood the necessity of lightening the load when mired in the quicksand of sin“…let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles… (and)…let us fix our eyes on Jesus…” (12:1). In addition, the psalmist experienced the benefit of grabbing the hand of a friend when he offered “But as for me, my feet had almost slipped; I had nearly lost my foothold…Yet…you (God) hold me by my right hand” (Psa. 73:1, 23). Echoing the security found by the psalmist when holding God’s hand, Anne Murray recorded a song 50 years ago that encourages us to “Put your hand in the hand of the man who stilled the waters. Put your hand in the hand of the man who calmed the sea. Take a look at yourself and you can look at others differently by putting your hand in the hand of the man from Galilee.”
Dependence on God is essential to surviving the challenging quicksand and slippery mire encountered on life’s journey. Knowing that he could not rescue himself, the psalmist placed his trust in the Lord and received Deliverance from God. His response of thanksgiving and praise is recorded as “I waited patiently for the LORD; he turned to me and heard my cry. 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. He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God…” (Psa. 40:1-2a).
Deliverance from God stems from the love of God. Numerous scriptures (John 3:16-17; 1 John 4:7-21; Romans 5:8, etc.) emphasize this truth. James Rowe further highlighted this reality when he wrote:
I was sinking deep in sin, Far from the peaceful shore,
Very deeply stained within, Sinking to rise no more;
But the Master of the sea, Heard my despairing cry,
From the waters lifted me, Now safe am I.
Love lifted me! Love lifted me! When nothing else could help, Love lifted me.
Love lifted me! Love lifted me! When nothing else could help, Love lifted me.
“Lord, thank you for loving me and lifting me out of the miry clay. Thank you for planting my feet on the firm ground to stay. Thank you for Jesus Christ, the Solid Rock on which I stand and for helping me to recognize that all other ground is sinking sand. Amen!”
Daniel