Stuck in the Mud

Cease striving and know that I am God.

Psalm 46:10a (NASB)

The other day, a friend asked how I was doing and my immediate reply was, “I feel like I’m running in quicksand!”

Have you ever had that feeling? Like those times when you are overwhelmed with all that is required of you, so you work and strive to get on top of it, only to find that you’ve fallen even further behind?

I am such a Martha. I know that I miss out on life’s beautiful moments because I’m too busy working hard to make me feel better about me, rather than looking to the Lord to order my priorities. So when I fail, I fail big!

The scripture that echoed in my mind as I answered my friend was Psalm 46:10 – “Cease striving and know that I am God.” It certainly fits, but what does it look like in everyday life?

What can Alaskan Mudflats teach us about Christian living? Find out in this post.

Related Post: 3 Ways We Can Stop Fighting & Know He is God

Be Still and Know That I Am God

I live in Southcentral Alaska, where we don’t have any quicksand to speak of, but what we do have are mudflats, which can be just as dangerous. Most beaches along the Cook Inlet aren’t sandy, but muddy. Nearby glaciers grind rock into powder-fine particles as they move down the mountains, resulting in glacial silt. It looks and feels solid enough at low tide, but as the tide comes in, those same mudflats become a lot like quicksand.

Every year people get stuck, and sometimes even die before they can be rescued because of the fast rising tides. Just like quicksand, once you find yourself stuck in the mudflats, there is no use struggling; the more you try to pull free, the deeper and faster you sink. People are told that when they become stuck, the best thing they can do is relax, “cease striving,” and spread out over as much surface area as possible to slow the sinking.

And then wait.

I went to the Hebrew lexicon to find the word translated to “cease striving” in Psalm 46:10 (Strong’s 7503 – ‘raphah’). I thought it was really interesting that the definition was “sink; relax.” In light of that,  we could rewrite the verse to say,

Relax. Keep on sinking, and know that I am God.

That would take some serious faith! But as always, God’s wisdom is wiser than that of the world; He knows that when we’re stuck in the mud, we need to relax. To wait. To sink slowly, and trust in our Rescuer. Sometimes that waiting period may be longer than we would like. It may give us some time to come to terms with our helpless state, and to realize from whom our help comes. When you think about it, whether in life or in the mudflats, any sense of control is only an illusion. Whether we acknowledge it or not, God is always the one in control. In the end, everyone ends up in the mudflats of life at one time or another, and to think we can “work” our way out is simply wrong thinking.

I think Psalm 40:1-3 is a beautiful guide for navigating our mudflat rescue:

I waited patiently for the Lord; he turned to me and heard my cry.

How will our Rescuer come if we don’t cry out for help? We need to cry out to the Lord, asking for rescue, acknowledging our helpless state, and expecting him to come. But we need to do so patiently, and not lose heart or panic when things don’t move as quickly as we would like. Don’t worry, he has heard your cry!

Maybe Jesus is just waiting for us to ask for help… Click To Tweet

Related Post: Slow Down & Stand in Awe

He Is Ready To Save

He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire;

When the firefighters arrive to help someone stuck in the mudflats, they will do one of two things. If the person isn’t too far gone, they will give him something to grab onto, pulling him out of the mud. But if he is too deep, firefighters have developed a technique to spray high powered water out of a fire hose around the person, which thins and displaces the mud, allowing him to be pulled out. Sometimes God may choose to reach his hand out to you, pulling you out of your mudflats. The mud won’t be changed, but through God’s power made perfect in your weakness, it is overcome. Other times, I think God does what the firefighters do when a person is just too deep to pull out: He thins the mud. He may actually alter your circumstances to jump start the rescue process. Only then will you have the strength to hold on and be pulled out. However it happens, the end result is the same: you’re free!

He set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand.

Not only are you free, but you will be placed on solid ground. This verse makes me think of the hymn, “On Christ the solid rock I stand, all other ground is sinking sand…” Your mudflat time will be used to make you stronger than you would have been otherwise; to galvanize your faith and place you in a position to move forward in power and with purpose.

Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

James 1:2-4 (NIV)

Psalm 40:3 speaks to how we should respond to our rescue once we are safely removed, standing on solid ground:

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.”

We should not be quick to forget the ways God rescues us, and respond with praise and thanksgiving in whatever way our spirits are led to express it. “Many will see and fear the Lord and put their trust in him.” We are a city on a hill! We are salt and light in a tasteless and dark world. When we see glimpses of God at work in our lives, we need to make it known, and not just to our “holy huddle” – but to those who desperately need to see, to fear the Lord and put their trust in him. It is through our mudflat times that we can demonstrate our faith in action. People are watching to see how we handle adversity, and I fear that more often than not, I blend in rather than stand out.

If you are stuck in the mud, be still and trust in Jesus Click To Tweet

Maybe you’re stuck in the mud right now. Use this time to look for what God is doing in you and through you as you await rescue. If you have been rescued already, shout it from the mountaintops! Sing a new song of praise, pointing those who are still stuck to the one person who can truly save them. My prayer for us all is that we will sing that new song – maybe even while we’re still stuck in the mud! I pray that through the way we navigate the mudflats in our lives, we will glorify our Father in heaven, and be His light in an increasingly dark world.

28 Comments

  1. The sermon at our church yesterday focused on how our God is personal. That we don’t just have a big man in the sky that looks over the earth, but a God who loves each of us personally and wants a relationship with each of us individually. Part of that relationship is being ready to help us when we’re stuck. But you are exactly right about needing to be still and wait. It’s been so hard for me to cease striving lately, but it really is important. Thanks for the reminder.

  2. That is really scary about that mud. But it is a great analogy and reminder. I’m so glad God is always there for me too. I want to grow deeper and deeper in my trust for Him.

  3. Wow! I have to admit that sounds completely terrifying but God knows how He uses these experiences to grow us right? And that’s why it’s called faith because it goes against our carnal instincts.

    Thank you so much for this illuminating post.

    xXx

  4. I almost couldn’t get past the horrible terror of the mud, but I’m so glad I did! I love what you said about how there is no use struggling. Oh how I wish I could really and truly learn this! That I have to cease and pause and just wait. I’m getting better about it, but every so often the temptation to freak out conspires against me. Thank you for this mental picture to hold onto. Because when I freak out, I only make everything worse. God’s peace can make a real difference in every mud pit!

    1. I wish I could put the head knowledge into practice more too, Jennifer! I can so relate to the freaking out part/making things worse. My prayer for all of us is for the strength and peace to stay the course, even when the waiting is longer than we’d like. Blessings to you!

  5. How interesting! I can’t help. It think of Abraham not relaxing and waiting for God to bring the promise to fruition but struggling to make it happen. Relaxing and waiting on God even if we think we will sink shows our trust!

  6. Such an important faith lesson that can be so hard to live out daily: simply be still and trust God. Your post also reminded me how important it is to prepare beforehand for the “mudflats of life.” (We are to put on the armor of God described in Ephesians 6:10-20.) I had no idea about the mudflats of Alaska.

  7. I’m in South Central Alaska too! I was like “I’d recognize the Turnagain Arm anywhere!” Loved your post. Loved your thoughts. Stop striving, just sink into the knowledge that God is who He says He is.

  8. Love that Psalm that says he lifts us out of the miry pit and places our feet on the rock. How often do we allow the cares of today to pull us down!?! So grateful to be able to stand on the Rock that never moves!

  9. “We should not be quick to forget the ways God rescues us, and respond with praise and thanksgiving in whatever way our spirits are led to express it.” A great reminder, Jaime. Thank you for sharing with Thankful Thursdays.

  10. I’m in Alaska too! And … at times it feels like I can’t progress. I asked God if He was holding me back. I’ve learned over time that sometimes we are the ones trying to move into places against God’s will and His timing, which is why it’s not successful. It’s best to really trust God is good and has a plan for our lives.

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