Sifting through the "Mire"

I waited patiently for the Lord, He turned to me and heard my cry. 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.

Psalms 40:1-2 NIV

What is your mire? Mire= sediment at the bottom.

Mire can be buried pain, unresolved anger, hidden sin, a great loss, failures, rejection or fears.

When we bury pain alive, it keeps popping up in our lives at unexpected moments. God wants us to have courage to face our "mire". Once we face our pain with the help of God, we can bury our pain dead!

"Freedom from the pit of darkness demands confrontation of our past, straining every experience through the truth that "all" things work together for our good. The will of God admits no defeat and penalizes no one! We can allow our past to defeat us or empower us. Harnessing the power of the past is a compelling weapon in the war against darkness."

Mary Southerland

This article by Mary Southerland, struck a chord in my gut. Facing pain is scary, but once we face it head on, it loses its power. After we face it, something incredible happens inside...we are free! This can be achieved through God, Who loves us and wants us to live abundantly in all areas of our lives. Trust God! Confess to him your pain, especially the pain you keep hidden deep within your heart. God wants to use us to bring more people into His kingdom. But many times, we need to do some pruning in areas of our lives, to allow God room to work through us in a more efficient way.

When you prune a tree, new branches are allowed to grow in a beautiful, full fashion. Unlike a tree that is never pruned. The tree that is not pruned will grow, but at a much slower pace. Wild branches get in the way, hindering growth.

Or like my spare bedroom that is filled up with junk. Some things in that spare bedroom are precious and are of good use to me, but I cannot get to those precious items because the junk is in the way!

With the start of 2012, I vow to prune my "tree of life"; to clean my spare bedroom. I do so desperately want God to work in and through me to help others. I have found my firm place to stand, my rock (Jesus). But I must continue to sift through the "mire" in my life to further my growth.

Some people feel that they must live good, balanced and healthy lives before they come to Jesus. I can testify that Jesus will embrace you wherever you are in life, no matter what troubles you face or character flaws you possess. He will live in your heart and cause you to WANT to change and grow for the good of all. He ignites a fire in your spirit that compels you to step forward in your journey towards His kingdom.

My spirit knows God's love, grace, strength, compassion and truth. And I anxiously await for my tree to bear good fruit, fruits of the Holy Spirit. But I must commence in pruning.

Thank you, Jesus, for saving me from the pit of mud and mire that I once swam in. Help me to sift through the mire so that I can be an efficient vessel for You to work through. Amen!