Stuck in the mud- In need of Christ’s rescue
The other day, Monday to be exact, the workers who are working on our home ended up getting stuck in the mud. We had so much rain the past few days, even through the nights, it’s insane to see the amount of rainfall here in August/September. But as we saw the workers out there, hearing their vehicle trying so hard to get out, my husband and I felt terrible seeing the workers trying hard to get out.
So my husband went out with his vehicle and tow straps to try and pull them out. But as many times as they all tried, it did not work. The workers truck dug themselves in so deep, creating a massive hole, making it hard for us to even pull them out. Later, a jeep pulled in trying to rescue them, only to see he was getting pulled in also. Suddenly the jeep turned his vehicle around and he hit the gas hard. Sliding everywhere, mud flying everywhere, smoke coming out their tires, a lot of pressure? Possibly so. But they got out with the help of a vehicle who had the tires for mud bogging.
Two days later, here I was, trying to run my errands and my minivan ended up getting stuck a bit. I had to work my way out to get unstuck. I called my husband to let him know what happened and with tears shedding over the phone as I had accidentally hit the other vehicle because I got stuck. Was it bad? No. It wasn’t. But this mama was already having lots of feelings from everything going on. He laughed, not at me, but knowing that it wasn’t a big deal just as long as we were okay. Which we were because it was a minor bump hit not a big car wreck hit. But still, it left me upset knowing I could not even run to walmart and get a few things we needed.
He came home from work yesterday evening, only to see him sliding in from the entrance only to get himself stuck in the mud too. Was it frustrating? You bet. We all were frustrated at this mud. Heck, he even thought, “what have we got into moving here?”
We began to grab some boards to place under the tires to help our SUV get unstuck and tried with everything we could.
Still nothing.
With the help of our daughters and our much older vehicle, my husband grabbed the chain, hooked it to the SUV, and we began to try our best to get it unstuck. But it didn’t work and ended up getting our older vehicle stuck in mud! What a mess it caused! Mud all in the vehicle and outside of it. It looked like we went mug bogging ourselves. Might as well say we did (laughing inside).
We took a break, went inside to eat our warm pizza that he brought home, and I began to nurse the baby. As I was nursing her, I began to look on YouTube, thanks to YouTubers who post helpful tips, I came across a video to help get our vehicle unstuck without calling a tow truck. I sent it to my husband for him to see as he was outside and I was inside nursing. While I was nursing her he ended up getting the old faithful bluey, that’s what we call our old truck, out the mud. Now the SUV? Still stuck.
Rain is wonderful. It’s great! But it makes a mess with dirt creating mud which makes it harder for vehicles to pass through.
We finally were able to get the SUV unstuck but what a story and laugh it was.
As this was happening, I began to reflect back at my morning bible readings from the past two mornings. I can see this as a spiritual growth too. I love how the Lord can take what was trying to ruin your day, into good. Don’t you love when He does this?
I read Genesis 3:22-24 and Revelation 21:1-2. Short passages I know. But let me share what I perceived from it and wrote in my Wholehearted journal. Actually, let me show you photos of what I jotted down for you to see. I never share my journal entries, but these are too good to not share on how the Lord intertwined the past two mornings for yesterday.
We can easily get entangled, and stuck in mud (stuck in sin), when we try to rescue ourselves. Or when we continue to repeat the same sin, over and over and over again. The repeated sin, the repeated self-reliance, deepens our feet more in the mud only to be stuck and unable to get out.
Why must it be so hard and painful? Because we have come to realize we are wretched human beings in desperate need of rescue but are too afraid to admit we need help. But oh what rescue we could have when we call upon the name of Jesus. It’s only through Jesus Christ who can rescue us from being stuck in the mud. Much like the jeep who had the mud tires that our vehicle didn’t have, Jesus has the strength, the capacity, and the rescue to deliver us from the pits we dug ourselves into.
He knows we are needing rescue and help. What He wants is for us to call onto Him admitting we need His help, rescue and deliverance. We come to Him and ask for forgiveness knowing we need His forgiveness. And that is the beautiful thing about calling upon the name of Jesus. He is there. He waits for us to call upon Him. To call upon Him in truth, admitting our faults and admitting we tried to do this on our own but we failed. We failed because we are not our own Savior. He is the Savior. The one and only Savior.
These places bring us to the low to bring Christ higher. To reveal to us that we can do nothing apart from Him, John 15:5. To show us how desperate we are in need of Him and how this needs to be a daily thing. Daily dying to ourselves to daily abide and need Jesus. To show us that it isn’t us who gets ourselves out of the pit. It’s only Jesus who can. To show us that no muddy place is too deep for our Savior to not come and rescue.
Friend, maybe you feel you are stuck in the mud right now unable to get free. Maybe you feel the mud you are in is too deep for Him to come to your rescue. Call upon Jesus. Admit your need of rescue. Admit your faults and sins. He doesn’t look at you as a mess from the sin you have done, but as a child who is in need of rescuing, deliverance all from a Savior. Satan wants you to believe you are too far gone or your sin is too much for Jesus. Satan doesn’t want you to know the truth that sin creates a barrier between you and Abba Father. Jesus wants you out of sin more than you want yourself out of sin. And satan, he wants you bound to sin to keep your relationship stagnant, stale, and in the deep mud, so you cannot grow in your knowledge and love for Jesus Christ.
1 John 1:9 in the NKJV translation says, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” This is a beautiful promise the Savior gives us when we finally admit we need Him. Doing so, He comes to our rescue as the long awaited prince you have long waited for.
He is waiting for you to call upon Him friend. Are you ready to be rescued by our Savior?
VERSES TO PONDER
1 John 1:9
Matthew 11:28-30
Psalm 145:18
Psalm 54:4