ODJ: above the mud (may 21)

by jennifer benson schuldt

read> Psalm 69:1-33
Let all who seek God’s help be encouraged (v.32).

more> Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with My victorious right hand (Isaiah 41:10).

Bog snorkeling is a popular sport in Wales. Competitors wear flippers and diving masks with snorkels attached and try to squirm through trenches cut through peat bogs without using their arms! While I have no idea how bog snorkeling got started, I know that getting “stuck in the mud” is nothing new.

David was in that spot—emotionally speaking—when he wrote, “Rescue me from the mud; don’t let me sink any deeper” (Psalm 69:14). If you’ve ever been depressed, you know what he was talking about. That struggle to stay above the mud can be overwhelming, frightening, and tiring.

David expressed feelings of hopelessness, but he also tried to encourage himself despite his despair. For example, he believed that he would eventually get out of the bog. He envisioned the end of his suffering as he wrote: “Then I will praise God’s name with singing, and I will honor Him with thanksgiving” (v.30). David believed God would set him free.

And check this out—David went on to say, “Let all who seek God’s help be encouraged” (v.32). The key phrase here is “seek God’s help.” Sometimes I think we’re too quick to outsource assistance to alcohol, advice from friends, or self-help books. Why are we so reluctant to beg for God’s help when we know He’s the only one who can truly rescue us?

After all, God “hears the cries of the needy” (v.33). He’s not going to dismiss our struggles and tell us to snap out of it. He’s “the God of compassion and mercy” (Exodus 34:6). He’s the One who is always available, always listening.

Do you know someone who’s sinking in the bog? Perhaps you’re that person. If so, remember that God can and will help you to stay above the mud. Seek Him today—no snorkel needed.

next> How can asking for God’s help revive a soul in despair? How does David’s example give you encouragement?