What Pit Are You In?—A book review

When I began speaking, I set some parameters for myself. I wanted to be thoroughly biblical, reflecting a depth of study, and to share Bible knowledge as well as practical application. Oh, and I wanted to be funny. Yeah, basically I wanted to be Beth Moore. (Well, minus the girly girl look and the Texas twang.)

Beth Moore has been sharing biblical truth in her Bible studies and books for a couple of decades. It could make you think she’s just a goody-goody church girl who doesn’t understand your life, your pain, your pit.

You would be wrong.

Beth found herself in some pretty nasty pits, even in childhood, pits the choices of others tossed her into. She also tossed herself into some ugly pits as an adult. She knows pits. But she also knows God’s power to deliver us right out of the pit.

This year marks the tenth anniversary of Beth’s book Get Out of That Pit: Straight Talk About God’s Deliverance. An updated version has been released in celebration. I was fortunate to receive a copy from the publisher so I could review it. (The review is my own.)

Psalm 40:1-3 figures prominently into the book, bringing hope:

I waited patiently for the Lord to help me,
    and he turned to me and heard my cry.
 He lifted me out of the pit of despair,
    out of the mud and the mire.
He set my feet on solid ground
    and steadied me as I walked along.
He has given me a new song to sing,
    a hymn of praise to our God.
Many will see what he has done and be amazed.
    They will put their trust in the Lord.

The book covers the three ways we end up in a pit (thrown in, slipping in, jumping in) and the biblical steps for getting out. Then Beth helps us know how to avoid ending up right back in one.

Honest examples from the pain in her own life make the book relatable. I am not alone in this. Neither are you. The promises of Scripture that Beth so carefully shares offer hope and a plan for discovering God’s deliverance.

And even with this heavy topic, Beth is funny. She knows how to spin a story that keeps you so engaged, you might not realize you’ve learned something until it’s over. But it will be a principle that can change your life and lead to the “hymns of praise” that Psalm 40 talks about.

We don’t need to stay in a pit, even one we got ourselves into. As Beth puts it:

“No matter how guilty you feel for sliding your way in, God wants you out. If you know Jesus Christ personally, you are not stuck. You have the power to stand up against the enemy. God still has a vision for you. … He loves you dearly, and the fact that you’ve been foolish doesn’t diminish His love one single ounce.”

We’ve all ended up in the pit. Get Out of That Pit can help us escape them—for good.

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