Now there's a little place that the devil wants us to live in called the pit
anybody know about the pit the pit of depression the pit of discouragement the pit of fear
anger whatever it might be well what is a pit it's a sunken place a low place
a dark and an unpleasant place I believe self-pity is a pit there's nothing worse
than spending a whole day sitting around in a half dark room feeling sorry for yourself it's terrible
it's certainly not a place that God wants us to be in and it's certainly not a place that
Jesus died for us to live in you might feel like you're in the pit you might feel like despair is
trying to get a hold on you you might feel like depression is just trying to reach out to you
friends I want to encourage you you don't need to submit to it don't submit to it
I understand you're in a pit I understand it's tough times I get it we're all together
but friends I want to encourage you as you find yourself there you're not alone there you're not
alone you don't need to be alone there no no no no you've got brothers and sisters all around
you but more than that the angels are watching in the Holy Spirit is present it doesn't matter
where you've gotten stuck or how you've gotten stuck or what pit you're in Jesus can get you out
he can get you out of that pit as so many of you know firsthand it's not a matter of if
there's going to be some challenges in this life it's a matter of when
it's coming and so when that happens you know do those challenges lead to despair
well it depends what you put your hope in because if you've put your hope in something
that is temporary something that can be and will be eventually stripped away then the challenges of
life can can lead to despair but if you put your hope in something outside of this life
then it gives you the ability to endure it gives you a strength that you never knew that you had
there's one hope that doesn't disappoint his name is Jesus everything else that we put our hope in
will be at some point stripped away but there's a living hope and his name is Jesus Christ he is in
control that's right Jesus is in control you may feel like you're in the pit today but I promise
you this if you get Jesus in there everything is about to change you might say that's a big
statement Shane everything is about the change but I honestly believe you get Jesus into your pit you
watch what's about to occur we all have times where we feel like we're in the pits life has
thrown us a curve it's easy to get discouraged and go around negative we think when it turns around
then I'll have a good attitude when my health improves then I'll be grateful when I break this
addiction then I'll get my joy back but that's backwards you have to give God praise first praise
is what causes things to turn around praise is what breaks bondages that are holding us back
praise activates God's favor don't wait till you get out of the pit be a pit praiser praise him in
spite of what hasn't worked out praise him in spite of what you lost any of us can give God
praise when we're on the mountaintop the real test is will you praise him in the valley will
you worship him in the wilderness will you shout when the walls aren't falling friends I want to
encourage you in this season wherever you find yourself today can I encourage you put on your
garment of praise whether you be in the pit or on your way to the palace or even in the palace
I want to encourage you put on your garment of praise it is praise that will set us apart
in the eyes of God it was it is our praise of Jesus Christ the Lord God himself that's going to
set us apart as the people of God the children of God and in this season bring us deliverance that
we might all go from the pit to the palace friends I don't know what pit you find yourself in
but I honestly believe your praise has the ability to turn that pit all the way around
all the way around I promise you God wants to do something supernatural in your life
it is your praise that's going to usher in the things of the spirit the spirit of God
the presence of God that your situation might turn when God sees you praising him in the pit
praising him in the loss praising him in the storm that's what he calls the sacrifice of praise
he knows it's not easy he knows it wasn't fair he knows they did you wrong he knows
you felt like quitting but when you praise him in the pit that moves God in a greater way the
sacrifice of praise carries more weight you may be in the pit but you're not going to stay there
you've heard that saying you can't keep a good man down let me tell you you can't keep a praiser down
anyone can complain anyone can be discouraged but God is looking for some pit praisers people that
will praise him no matter what happens praise him in the good times praise them in the tough times
praise him when business is up praise him when it's down David said I'll bless the Lord at all
times his praise will continually be in my mouth there's no doubting there's a whole lot of despair
in our community and society at the moment and maybe you find yourself in a pit today and
if you're to be honest it's like yeah you can feel that spirit of despair trying to get a hold on you
but friends I want to encourage you today well you have a choice now you have a choice in this moment
in this season you might find yourself in a pit but even in the pit you have a choice to allow the
spirit of despair to get a hold on you or rather to put on the garment of praise I honestly believe
if we will praise the Lord regardless of what's happening regardless of how we're feeling if we
will praise if we'll lift up a shout of praise king Jesus himself is going to turn turn up and
turn our pit into a piece of paradise when our praise goes up the person of Jesus Christ comes
down but when we're in the pits it's easy to have a pity party think why did this happen I prayed
my loved one didn't make it my relationship didn't work out my house was damaged in the storm you're
right where Joseph was doing the right thing and the wrong thing happened you're right where Paul
and Silas were honoring God and we're thrown into a pit you can either get negative bitter
or you can become a pit praiser you can thank God not for the pit but thank him that he's bringing
you out don't thank him for the problem thank him that he's turning it around the key is what
you do when you're in the pit when life has taken an unexpected turn a relationship didn't work out
you lost a loved one a bad medical report it's tempting to get sour go around complaining
talking about how it's not going to work out all that's going to do is keep you in the pit
when you're in the pit don't complain turn up your praise sometimes life is not going to make sense
you're doing the right thing but it's not working out you have to trust that God is still in control
that he knows what he's doing that he will not mismanage your life God has already planned
the end from the beginning but he never promised that we would understand everything that happens
along the way in fact he said my ways are not your ways he let us know right up front
it's not always going to make sense this is what faith is all about yes this is a big problem
but I know you're a big God you flung stars into space nothing's too difficult for you