By Jon Cooper
Psalm 40 (NIV):
1 I waited patiently for the Lord;
he turned to me and heard my cry.
2 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.
3 He put a new song in my mouth,
a hymn of praise to our God.
Many will see and fear the Lord
and put their trust in him.
I can’t think of a much deeper ditch or thicker mud to be stuck in than to find oneself in prison. To be separated from family and stripped of all the comforts of life is a very painful experience. After 13 years spent working inside prisons as a chaplain, I’ve witnessed the worst of what humanity is capable of, but I’ve also seen the best.
Recently, I watched a prisoner stand before a group of 50 other men and publicly ask forgiveness from three men he felt he had wronged. One by one, the men accepted the apology and came forward to embrace the one seeking forgiveness. Later, I asked him to explain what had happened. He cracked a huge smile and said, “When I was young, I remember being told that God is not complicated, but we make him complicated. It’s taken me a long time to realize what I need to do is simply take daily steps of surrender towards him. The more steps I take, the better I feel about where I’m headed. I finally feel like I’m breaking out of the shell I’ve been trapped in.”
So it is with us on our journey. A fellow prison chaplain reminded me, “We all move back and forth on a continuum between the two extremes of weariness and wonder.” Some days may be filled with wonder at what God is doing, and other days, we may struggle to get out of bed to face life again. With God’s help, we can rise up, put our feet on firm ground, and break out of our own shell or whatever pit we may find ourselves in. If you’re struggling today, I challenge you to take a step toward the God who hears us, lifts us up, and is able to put a new song in our mouth.
Prayer: God of all confined persons, both physically and spiritually, thank you for reaching out in love and lifting me from the mud and mire I sometimes find myself in. Please put a new song in my mouth, so that I may live today fully aware of your presence. May others see Christ in me and follow you with all their heart. Amen.