The cistern...

There is a story in Jeremiah 38: 6-13 about when he gets thrown into a jail and then into a cistern by some "bad guys" (very theological term) who did not like what he was prophesying.

"They lowered Jeremiah by ropes into the cistern; it had no water in it, only mud, and Jeremiah sank down into the mud." (Meanwhile, a "good guy"), Ebed-Melech heard about it and told the king. The king said, "take thirty men from here with you and lift Jeremiah the prophet out of the cistern before he dies... He took some worn out clothes and old rags from there and let them down with ropes to Jeremiah in the cistern... Ebed told Jeremiah, 'Put these old rags and worn-out clothes under your arms to pad the ropes.' Jeremiah did so, and they pulled him up with ropes and lifted him out of the cistern."

This chapter has much meaning in my life these days. Any trial can feel like you have been lowered (alone) into a muddy cistern. I know that is how I have felt over the last 3 years of dealing with my health. But just as God ordains the cisterns, he ordains the rope.

I am definitely not out yet. (I feel like I am still sinking in to the mud at this point because these antibiotics make me sick but without them, I am doomed.)

But I know I will be climbing up a rope and out of this soon.

A lot of you blog buddies "have grabbed rags and old worn-out clothes" by praying for us and I CANNOT TELL YOU HOW MUCH THAT MEANS! Jeremiah could not see the people working hard on a plan to help him. Although, I do wonder if it was his prayers from the mud that started the whole ball rolling.

Christ is our ultimate saviour from any cistern. He saved me from my muddy sinful self and set me free.He lowered THE ONLY salvation rope to all of us when He died on the cross.

He always lowers the rope. It may not be what we expect but we just have to grab on.

Tim is my "Ebed". :) He is going for help. I have a visual of him going before me with a sword... fighting for me when I cannot fight. I am beautiful and slung across his arm like a damsel in distress in that visual. :)

(marry a godly guy, single girls!!)

My mom has her rags and clothes ready to throw into the cistern to pull me out. (thanks, mom)

SO many sweet people are ready to lower themselves to help try to get me out of this mud.

Thank you for your prayers and your emails of encouragement. Please keep praying that the antibiotics I am on would be effective. I am still in the cistern but knowing my rope is coming.

These verses also show how precious and HELPFUL it is to have people going through trials with you. I want to be one of those people for others.

If you need prayer, please email me.tsblackiston@comcast.net. If you need help, tell me. We will go get some rags and worn-out clothes and lower them down and pull you out.

May God use our trials for His glory and prepare us to help others after we are pulled out of the mud! :)

"Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God. For just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows."

2 Corinthians 1:3,4

Just waiting on my rope~

Steph :)