Chapter 3 – Get Out of That Pit

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Chapter 3 – When you Slip into a Pit

Oh boy, for those of you that didn’t or couldn’t relate to being “thrown into a pit” last week, maybe this sounds more up your stream. What happens when you slip into a pit?

Beth says on page 49, “Unlike the pit we get thrown into, we put ourselves into this one. Bet here’s the catch; we didn’t mean to. We just weren’t watching where we were going.”

Ladies, can you see it…sometimes we just aren’t paying attention to the stinkin’ pit and then, BAM we slide right on it. I know it can happen, it has happened to me, and you know how it usually happens for me, Distraction!

On page 59 it says, “Traps set. Feet slip. I hate how the enemy uses the guilt over how you got into a pit to trap you into never getting out. Hear me clearly: you cannot let him get away with that. Settle in your mind right now that staying in the pit is absolutely unacceptable.”

I love this verse in Psalm 94:18-19 (NASB)
If I should say, “My foot has slipped,”
Your lovingkindness, O Lord, will
Hold me up.
When my anxious thoughts multiply
within me,
Your consolations delight my soul.

And another one of my highlighter moments was on pages 68-69 when Beth closes out this Chapter with: “Look at it this way: the fact that you are reading this book – or anything like it – betrays that Satan didn’t take you anywhere near the finish line he planned for you. When you slipped into that pit, you went to a place you never intended. Now you’re going to a place Satan never intended. Don’t you stop until the enemy is sorry he ever messed with you.” (emphasis mine)

Oh man, it is SO good, isn’t it?

Let’s break out our books and journals and dive right into the Personal Application Questions.

1) Read Psalm 38:4-6, 9, 12, and 14-17. Think of a time when you slid into a pit, and underline the words in those verses that describe how you felt (or feel now) about the situation in which you found (or find) yourself.
– Those who seek my life set their traps
– I wait for you, O LORD; you will answer, O LORD my God.
– My guilt has overwhelmed me
– my heart pounds, my strength fails me
– I have become like a man who does not hear (like I was invisible)
– I underlined the WHOLE THING (not kidding)
2) If you were in Christ at the time Satan’s first distraction, when did the Holy Spirit first sound an alarm? How did you respond?
– my health
– the warning signlas are so much easier to see in hindsight
– I see the warning signs but I don’t want to take the time to slow down for them
3) What are some tricks Satan uses to distract you into sliding into sin?
– lies (half truths)
– pain
– doubt
– guilt
– insecurity
– believing that I can cope with it
– that there’s no better way
– hopelessness – almost a why bother attitude
4) Are you now in the “distraction” phase of a potential pit? If so, what is the Holy Spirit saying to you? What do you need to do now?
– Almost feel like a victim – no choice
– yes, my blogging has become like an addiction to me
-I totally am and the Holy Spirit is saying RUN!!!, but I don’t want to
5) Are you in the “addiction” phase of a pit? Read 1 John 4:4 again and reflect on what it means in your situation. What do you need to do to claim that promise?
– Give it over to God
Step away from it
– Pray and ask God to relieve it
– Be still
– Pull away from the noise of my daily life
– ACTION – just walk away
– Matthew 21:22 prayer (if you believe you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer)
– Rest in the fact that God will be victorious

On Guard for the Pit,

10 Comments

  1. hi Mel,

    Thanks for letting folks know about my little ol blog 🙂

    so I have a question for ya – have you read a lot of Beth Moore and if so which book would you most recommend?

  2. My kids would be jealous knowing you live in the same state as Mickey Mouse! They have been begging me to go to Disney World lately!!!

  4. Another good chapter!
    #1 – “swamped by bad behavior”, “feeling sorry for myself”, (The Message)
    #2 – Looking back, He actually sounded the alarm quite quickly, but I ignored it and thought everything was okay. As Beth said – sometimes this warning may not make any human sense.
    #3 – As she mentioned in this chapter, he helps us explain things away – “It’s not really wrong, I can just do this little thing…”
    #4 – no
    #5 – “The Spirit in you is stronger than anything in the world”. Hold on to that Spirit!

    One of my favorite things from this chapter was this: “Anything that becomes a bigger preoccupation in your mind than the truth and knowledge of God, anything that dwarfs His truth and knowledge in your imagination, is a stronghold.” That’s a good warning for me.

  5. I am so behind. I am going to catch up so that I can be prepared for next week.
    By the way would you mind if I added you to my blogroll?
    Blessings,
    Linda

  6. 1.) These verses have some great descriptive words. overwhelmed by guilt, heavy burden, festering wounds, mourning, pain, feeble … all very applicable to when I’ve slid into a pit on my own. Ok … maybe not ACTUAL festering wounds but the symbolism is there.

    2.) I think the alarm sounds early on. Most times it isn’t that I don’t hear it, it’s that I ignore it.

    3.) Rationalization. Comparison. Doing something “just this once”…

    4.) I don’t think so … but I’ll be listening in case there is one I’m not looking out for.

    5.) I do not think I am in this phase either right now … But this is a great verse and one to remember !! He IS greater !!! The greatest !

  9. Sorry I’m so late!!

    guilt…shame…too heavy to bear…wounds fester…all day long I go about mourning…longing…sighing …I wait…

    Words that discribe those moments os realizing you’ve slipped into the pit AGAIN!

    There is that moment of guilt and shame, wondering if God will forgive again. Then truth comes in and you realize that God does forgive. God is patient He help us out of the pit once again! God is so much greater than anything the enemy can throw at me….I just need to keep speaking truth..

  10. I loved Beth’s honesty, when you read someone’s journey and can identify, immediately you have hope. Lies are definately a struggle, it’s usually the ‘small’ stuff rather than the big stuff that can get us near the pit edge again. Falling into addictive (even if it’s just – well I say just – having that sugary sweet or two or three). A testimony to GRACE.

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