TESTIFY: A 5-Day Devotional With Rock City WorshipShembull

Testify

When I was down, He picked me up

When I was lost, He turned me around

And from the pit, He pulled me out

He set my feet on solid ground

So just let me testify

Rock bottom. If you’ve never been there, you know someone who has. It feels like you have reached the lowest point possible. Light, hope, peace, happiness…they all seem like illusions, distant memories that will never be real again. At least not for you.

But I wonder if the term “rock bottom” even does justice to how hopeless and desperate those moments can feel. Rock may be uncomfortable, but at least it’s solid. At least you can get your footing underneath you. Sometimes in life, we can't even do that.

That’s why I like the imagery David uses in Psalm 40 when he says that he is in a slimy pit of muddy clay. That’s a new kind of low. There is no getting out of that pit – he doesn’t even have solid ground to stand on.

David could do nothing but wait and call on the Lord. And that is exactly what he does because David knows that even in the worst moments of our lives, God is with us. In the depths of despair, God is there, He cares, and He will not abandon us (Psalm 139:7-10).

God responds to David’s cry. He delivers David from the pit and sets him on solid ground, giving him peace and stability. God gives David a “new song," which is a heartfelt joy so overwhelming that it must be expressed through songs of praise. Psalm 40:3 tells us that this expression of praise is so powerful that other people see it and put their trust in God.

Whether or not you have experienced “rock bottom” circumstances like David’s, the image in Psalm 40 is a perfect picture of everyone’s spiritual condition apart from Jesus. Ephesians 2:5 says that without Jesus, we are all dead in our sins. What could be a more hopeless condition than that? The only thing we can do to get out of a desperate condition is to call upon the name of Jesus. And as soon as we do, God is faithful to pull us from the pit, turn our lives around, breathe life into our souls, and place us on the solid foundation of Jesus Christ.

That is the testimony of every single follower of Jesus, whether your life has been tragically difficult or relatively smooth. You are a living, breathing miracle and a testament to God’s faithfulness. As a part of your new life in Jesus, God has put a song in your mouth. What else can you do but sing it loudly, to the praise of God’s glorious grace?

Reflection:

• Remember a time you felt hopeless, lost, or desperate. How did the Lord show up? How can you thank Him and tell others about His goodness?
• Reflect on your spiritual condition before Jesus. Meditate on the fact that Jesus pulled you from spiritual death into life abundant and eternal. Spend a few minutes thanking God and consider who you might be able to share your testimony with.