STUCK IN A RUT

AS USUAL, I WAS HAVING A CONVERSATION WITH A FRIEND THIS MORNING AND A FEW SIMPLE WORDS BECAME AN OBSESSION.  IT WAS THE TERM "STUCK IN A RUT" THAT HAS BEEN PLACED UPON MY HEART THIS MORNING.  THIS "NOTE" IS AN EASY ONE FOR ME TO WRITE....LORD KNOWS I CAN SURELY IDENTIFY!!!!  I FEEL SURE THAT ANYONE READING THIS WILL BE ABLE TO IDENTIFY IN ONE WAY OR ANOTHER.  WE ALL GET STUCK IN SOME SORT OF RUT IN ONE WAY OR ANOTHER....SOME OF US IN WAY MORE THAN ONE!

I LIVE IN THE COUNTRY AND GRAVEL ROADS ARE VERY COMMON AROUND HERE.  MOST OF THESE GRAVEL ROADS HAVE ENORMOUS RUTS AND DEEP MUD HOLES.  IF SOMEONE HAPPENS TO SLIP OFF INTO SOME OF THESE RUTS, THATS WHERE THEY WILL STAY, NO MATTER HOW HARD THAT PERSON MIGHT TRY TO GET OUT.   USUALLY BY SPINNING TIRES AND TRYING TO GET OUT, A PERSON ONLY DIGS DEEPER AND ENLARGENS THE MUD HOLE. 

STOP FOR A MOMENT AND THINK ABOUT WHAT YOU HAVE JUST READ......

EVEN IF YOU HAVE NEVER BEEN DOWN A GRAVEL ROAD IN THE COUNTRY, I FEEL SURE YOU MIGHT HAVE BEEN FIGURATIVELY STUCK IN ONE RUT OR ANOTHER.  YOU MAY HAVE EVEN BEEN COMFORTABLE THERE, I KNOW I SURE HAVE BEEN.  THE "RUTS" IN OUR LIVES BECOME COMFORTABLE.  THEY BECOME SAFE AND OFFER SECURITY.  WE LEARN TO LIVE IN OUR "RUTS" ONCE WE BECOME CONVINCED THAT THERES NO WAY OUT........................

MARK 10:46-52 TELLS US THE STORY OF BARTIMAEUS.  HE WAS THE BLIND BEGGAR WHO COULDNT WALK.  TO SIT AND BEG WAS HIS ONLY MEANS OF SURVIVAL, DAY IN DAY OUT.  HE WAS TRULY STUCK IN A RUT.  WHEN BARTIMAEUS HEARD THAT JESUS WAS COMING THROUGH, HE KNEW WITHOUT A DOUBT THAT HIS LIFE WAS ABOUT TO CHANGE.  HE CRIED OUT "JESUS, SON OF DAVID, HAVE MERCY ON ME!!!!"  JESUS HEARD HIS CRY, TOLD HIM TO RISE AND IMMEDIATELY, BARTIMAEUS STOOD, THREW ASIDE HIS FILTHY RAGS AND CAME TO JESUS!!!!!  BARTIMAEUS CAME UP OUT OF HIS RUT!!!

THATS WHAT WE ALL NEED TO DO....HAVE FAITH LIKE BARTIMAEUS...CRY OUT TO JESUS....COME UP OUT OF OUR RUTS....STEP OUT FROM WHATEVER IT IS THAT HOLDS US BACK....JESUS DID IT THEN....HE DOES IT NOW!!!!! 

AND FOR THAT, I AM GRATEFUL THIS MORNING!