Will you walk through the pit to get to the promise?

Sunday we kicked off our Fall ministry season here at WestK and boy was it exciting.  Our worship service was terrific; I saw long-time members welcoming new people and inviting them to over for dinner later in the week (and them accepting the invite)!!!  We also had one of our largest Sunday school attendances for the college age bible study.  After service we hosted a church picnic at Oshtemo park, and it was awesome seeing so many of you there. There was tons of food, fun, and laughter.  We gave out a ton of “appreciation awards” to those who have been involved behind the scenes at WestK, serving faithfully in a variety of areas. 

                My favorite part of Sunday might seem a little odd, but I want to share it with you anyways.  While at the park we started up a game of whiffle ball.  There is an actual whiffle ball field there, with homerun fence and backstop, close to the pavilion we used for the church picnic.  At one point it looked like there was 20-30 people (including kids) out there playing.  When I finally joined in, I joined Chris Golland and Jason Penn at playing outfield.  Well, Tim McConnell got up to bat, and I did what any loving, encouraging pastor does to a faithful member of his church when playing a highly competitive sport like whiffle ball… I started in with the mocking and harassment (in Christian brotherly love of course).  On the second pitch Tim hit a home run.  Now that wasn’t my favorite part.  My favorite part of yesterday occurred in the next inning when Tim got back up to bat.  From the outfield I once again started to yell out my loving encouragements with the words, “Fluke! Fluke! Last time was a fluke! Easy out!”  And to my surprise on the first pitch Tim once again crushed the ball over the fence.  As he rounded the bases he humbly questioned my encouragement my chanting, “Fluke huh!?! Fluke!!!”  Gotta love that guy.  The reason that was my favorite part of yesterday was because less than 2 weeks ago that guy almost died from a number of serious stomach ulcers.  Make you wonder if he should have been out there playing ball in the first place.

               In the sermon I mentioned that some pits in life can only be figured out in a rear-view mirror.  This is very true for Joseph (Genesis 37).  Joseph’s life can be characterized as a series of pits.  One after another, Joseph faces pit after pit, but the beauty of Joseph’s story is it reminds us that God likes to use the pits to lead to his Promise.  For Joseph, it wasn’t until the end of his story that Joseph looks back and acknowledges that God used the pits in his life to position him in a place where he would receive the promise.  For so many people over this last year, like Tim, I have seen them go through pits in their life, not knowing why God was allowing them to experience that particular hardship in their life.  But instance after instance we have seen God move in these pits of life, and in every instance it leads people into a closer relationship and deeper trust in God.
            I don’t think we will ever see an end of pits (not until Jesus comes back).  I also believe we have not seen the end of God using pits to lead people into a greater relationship with Him.  We will all face pits in life, some deeper than others.  But God is ready to use those pits for His Glory and our benefit.  I think it was Matt Chandler who once said: “If God asks Jesus to go through the valley of the cross, we shouldn’t be surprised to go through ours.” 
             I want to encourage you, whether you are in a pit right now, coming out of one, or unknowingly about to be tossed into one, God knows exactly where you are and what you need.  He wants you to experience his saving grace and increase your trust in him.  So when you find yourself in a pit remember, the deeper the pit the greater the deliverance.  There is no pit too deep that God cannot bring you out of.

Psalm 18:1-19

I love you, Lord, my strength.

 The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer;
    my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge,
    my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.

 I called to the Lord, who is worthy of praise,
    and I have been saved from my enemies.
 The cords of death entangled me;
    the torrents of destruction overwhelmed me.
The cords of the grave coiled around me;
    the snares of death confronted me.

In my distress I called to the Lord;
    I cried to my God for help.
From his temple he heard my voice;
    my cry came before him, into his ears.
The earth trembled and quaked,
    and the foundations of the mountains shook;
    they trembled because he was angry.
Smoke rose from his nostrils;
    consuming fire came from his mouth,
    burning coals blazed out of it.
He parted the heavens and came down;
    dark clouds were under his feet.
He mounted the cherubim and flew;
    he soared on the wings of the wind.
He made darkness his covering, his canopy around him—
    the dark rain clouds of the sky.
Out of the brightness of his presence clouds advanced,
    with hailstones and bolts of lightning.
The Lord thundered from heaven;
    the voice of the Most High resounded.
He shot his arrows and scattered the enemy,
    with great bolts of lightning he routed them.
The valleys of the sea were exposed
    and the foundations of the earth laid bare
at your rebuke, Lord,
    at the blast of breath from your nostrils.

He reached down from on high and took hold of me;
    he drew me out of deep waters.
He rescued me from my powerful enemy,
    from my foes, who were too strong for me.
They confronted me in the day of my disaster,
    but the Lord was my support.
He brought me out into a spacious place;
    he rescued me because he delighted in me.