When we first moved to the farm, there was a steep learning curve involved.
Truthfully, there still is. Every day I seem to learn something new, but one day in 2024 I got a lesson on tractor weight, soft ground, and the deception of what looks firm on the surface.
I’ve bush-hogged in the past, so operating a tractor wasn’t new to me. What was new was the land I had been called to steward, and that’s where I ran into trouble. Instead of slowing down and thoroughly assessing the terrain, I convinced myself that figuring it out on the fly would be good enough.
I hooked up the bush hog and was making quick work of a pasture. I had mapped out what I thought was the best path, and everything was going great… until it wasn’t. I made a turn and started down the next pass, and as you can see from the grass around the tractor, the ground looked perfectly fine. It was deceptively green. Without realizing it, I drove straight into a soft spot, and before I knew it, I was stuck in the pit. There was no amount of rocking, spinning, or wishful thinking that was going to get that tractor out. Outside help would be necessary if I wanted to move that machine.
When I was reading Psalm 40, this story immediately came to mind because just as King David found himself in a pit, I had that same sinking feeling in that moment—both figuratively and literally. And just like David, every one of us has found ourselves in a pit at some point in our lives.
Maybe, like me on that day, the pit came out of nowhere. In modern life, that can look like an unexpected phone call from a doctor or family member. It can be the job you’ve held for years suddenly disappearing. It can be a serious injury (like a tree limb trying to take your leg off), a financial setback, or some other challenge that blindsides you when you least expect it.
Or perhaps it’s a pit that was built slowly over time, and before you know it, there seems to be no way out. That’s more like the marriage that struggles because we’ve neglected it for years, or the moment we look in the mirror and realize there’s fifty extra pounds staring back at us that weren’t there before. Just because the pit took time to form doesn’t make the reality of being in it any easier.
So what do we do when we find ourselves in the pit?
In situations like this, Scripture provides the best answer. Psalm 40 tells us to wait patiently for the Lord, and that He hears our cry. That doesn’t mean we sit in the pit and mope around feeling sorry for ourselves. It means we cry out to Him. It means recognizing that when we’re at the bottom, we can still go a little lower—to our knees. Going to Him consistently, honestly, and frequently is the best way to navigate the seasons of life when we find ourselves stuck in the pit.
And then what does the Bible say? It clearly tells us that He draws us out and sets our feet upon a rock. For the tractor that day, it meant finding another piece of equipment strong enough to pull it free. Once I was back on solid ground, I knew exactly where the danger spots were, and let’s just say I haven’t gotten stuck there again.
For us, though, we have to recognize that time in the pit is often a season of preparation and learning. It would have done me absolutely no good to get the tractor unstuck only to turn around and drive right back into the same soft spot. Yet how often do we do exactly that in our own lives?
Once our feet are secure in Him, we miss a tremendous opportunity if we don’t take time to look back and discern what God was teaching us while we were in the pit. The old saying that those who fail to learn from the past are doomed to repeat it rings true. My prayer is that the lessons we learn in the pits of life are not wasted, but instead become tools God uses to deepen our faith, strengthen our character, and grow us in our discipleship journey.
So if you find yourself in a pit today, my encouragement is simple: cry out to Him. He’s listening, and He’s ready to answer. And when He sets your feet upon the rock, be sure to give Him the praise He deserves while also taking time to learn from the experience. Don’t waste the powerful opportunity God has given you to grow.
Hold your head high, hit your knees, and watch how He moves. That’s what unleashing the Lion Within is all about.