"Escape the Quagmire"

Series: Talking to Yourself

Point Yourself Toward God

Watch

Read

Quicksand looks solid until you step into it. Suddenly, you find yourself stuck and sinking. To escape the quagmire, you have to avoid flailing, shed excess weight, and grab a helping hand. Desperation can lead to abrupt movements, but it makes you sink even further!

We can react to the constant noise in our heads and our feelings of despair in the same way — by busying ourselves and flailing about. But that just digs us deeper! In these moments, we have to "lay aside every burden" (Heb. 12:1) and point ourselves toward God, who always stands on firm ground.

The Big Idea

God can calm our fears, anxieties, and crippling uncertainties. When the storm rages "in turmoil within" you (Psalm 42:11), remember how Peter reached out to Jesus and cried out, ”Lord, save me,” as he began to sink (Matt. 14:30-32).

The Psalms often mirror our sense of drowning in a chaotic sea. Thankfully, they don't leave us there. Consider the identical endings of Psalm 42 and 43:

"Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation and my God" (Psalm 42:11 and Psalm 43:5).

"Why are you cast down, O my soul," he asks. He wants to understand his "despair" (NASB). The word "cast down" can suggest sinking or melting away. That sinking feeling. If you've felt "troubled" (YLT) or "down in the dumps" (MSG), you get it.

The psalmist takes responsibility for himself. He says to himself, "Hey, you've forgotten the one fact that could get you through this. You've forgotten who God is." When we have this kind of conversation with ourselves, we learn to lift our downcast chins and force our eyes upward. Wishing can't do much, but when we hope in the One we know is able to save us, it can pull us back onto solid ground (Rom. 8:28; Gen. 50:20).

The Big Question

What concerns rage inside you, and have you reached out to God for rescue?