Out of the Pit and Onto Solid Ground

Psalm 40:2 says:

“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.”

That verse? That’s my story in one sentence. Honestly, it might be yours too. Because when I showed up to Celebrate Recovery, my life wasn’t just messy—it was pit-level messy. And not even a neat, Instagram-aesthetic pit. No, this was full-on slimy pit. Think mud, mire, quicksand, regret, and maybe even a raccoon or two.

But here’s the thing: God doesn’t leave us there. He lifts us out. He doesn’t just toss us a rope and say, “Good luck climbing.” He climbs right down into the pit, grabs us, and hauls us out.

The Slimy Pit: AKA Life Before Recovery

Now, the slimy pit can look different for everybody. For some of us, it was addiction. For others, it was codependency, anger, shame, or habits we thought we’d never break.

And can we just admit? Sometimes the slimy pit felt normal. Familiar. Comfortable even. Like, “Hey, at least I know this mud pit. I’ve decorated it with throw pillows. Don’t take it away!”

But pits are not meant for living. They’re meant for escaping. And God, in His mercy, says, “I’ve got better for you than mud and mire.”

Solid Ground Feels… Awkward

When God pulls us out, the verse says He sets our feet on a rock—on solid ground. That sounds amazing, right? Until you realize when you’ve lived your whole life sinking in mud, standing on something steady feels weird.

It’s like when toddlers first learn to walk. They wobble, they trip, they grab onto things that can’t actually hold them up. That’s what recovery felt like for me at first—awkward, clumsy, and very much not Instagram-worthy.

But here’s the miracle: God doesn’t ask us to walk perfectly. He just wants us to keep standing. Psalm 37:23–24 says:“The Lord makes firm the steps of the one who delights in Him; though he may stumble, he will not fall, for the Lord upholds him with His hand.”

In other words: you’re going to trip, but God’s got you.

From Ashes to Beauty

That’s why Isaiah 61:3 hits so hard:“He will give a crown of beauty for ashes, a joyous blessing instead of mourning, festive praise instead of despair.”

God doesn’t just pull us out of the pit and spray us off with a garden hose. He actually transforms us. He trades our ashes—the burned-out parts of our story—for beauty. He takes the very things we thought disqualified us and turns them into testimony.

Romans 8:28 says:“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him.”

Even the mud. Even the pit. Even the parts we’d rather nobody knew about.

Laughing in the Mud

Now, let’s be honest. Recovery isn’t always glamorous. Sometimes it feels more like a three-point turn in a Walmart parking lot. Other times it feels like falling flat on your face, only to hear God whisper, “It’s okay, get back up, I’m holding you.”

But here’s the joy: one day, you’ll look back at the pit you thought would bury you, and you’ll laugh. You’ll laugh because God lifted you out, put you on solid ground, and somehow gave you a story worth sharing.

Closing Prayer

Lord, thank You for lifting us out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire. Thank You for setting our feet on solid ground, even when we wobble and stumble. Remind us that You’re not done with us, and that You’re turning our ashes into beauty, our chaos into peace, and our story into testimony. Amen.