G’day from Steve,

Stuck in the Mud and 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. He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear and put their trust in the LORD. Blessed is the man who makes the LORD his trust, who does not look to the proud, to those who turn aside to false gods. Many, O LORD my God, are the wonders you have done. The things you planned for us no one can recount to you; were I to speak and tell of them, they would be too many to declare.
Psalm 40: 1-5

A few days ago I got to go for an all day ride through parts of the Sierra Nevada mountains in Northern California. Nothing like a dirt bike ride with a few good mates.
At altitudes of nearly 5,000ft we rode endless trails through snow, rocks, mud, slippery tree roots, swamps and hill climbs. We crossed rivers and took on some challenging terrain. At one stage we had to cross a large water hole and I…… nearly made it. The closer I got to the other side the deeper the water got. Right at the edge the ruts were like a trap for weary riders. I bogged in bad. My lungs were not used to high altitude air. I was exhausted. After 5 minutes of trying to man handle the bike out I gave up in pure exhaustion and waited for my mates. One good lift and the bike was free. It amazes me how much more we can do in life when we have good friends to help.

When it comes to life….we all at times get ourselves into a boggy rut… somewhere we don’t want to be. Impossible predicaments we never planned on. It can be of our own sinful doing or the failure of others. But either way we get stuck and desperately need help. Are we humble enough to accept help or do we proudly ignore it?

Jesus came to lift us out of our sin, out of the miry clay that gets us trapped. We strive to do life on our own and rely on our talents, personalities, looks, education, money and influence etc but in the end we need a Saviour. We all need Jesus.

Two important things:
1. If you know of someone who is stuck in a rut… get in there and help them. Too often we see someone in pain and we ignore them and hope someone else will help. Be Jesus to them.
2. If you know you are stuck in a rut… recognise it for what it is and humbly ask for help. Sometimes people simply need to know what you are going through. God will honour your honesty and faith.

One of the best things in life is good friends. Thanks so much for your friendship. Thank you Jesus!

Godspeed,

steve-sign-white2