DEVOTIONALS

Get Out of the Rut
By: Lori Schaffer

Have you ever felt like you were stuck in a rut? Perhaps you lack motivation, are feeling depressed, or are dealing with a difficult life situation. Inevitably, we will all face hard times and challenges. Maybe life’s circumstances got the best of you, and you just found yourself stuck. I’m going to share an example of something I went through a while back, and how I found myself stuck in rut, for a period of time, and how God helped me out. I do want to be clear about this, this was my own doing, my bad attitude, and my anger that got me stuck in the rut.

Before I go any further, let’s talk about what a rut is. I envision a field with a heavy piece of machinery working in wet conditions. The soil sinks down from the weight of the equipment, leaving a large indentation, a rut. Now, think of your life, and the things that may be weighing you down. It could be a health battle, finances, your marriage, raising small children, a job situation, unanswered prayers. Those things are leaving an indentation on you. You may find yourself pressed down so far, stuck in a rut, unsure
how you are going to make your way out of the muck you are in.

Back in the fall, I thought God had answered a big prayer of mine. This may seem silly to some, but I have been praying for a home at the beach. It has been a long time dream and prayer of mine. My prayers have been specific, down to the exact shade of blue that I want the door to be, palm trees that sway in the wind, a fenced in yard for my dogs, close to the beach, and all at a great price. It sounds like a lot to ask for, but I believe Psalm 37:4 which says, “Delight yourself in me and I will give you the desires of your heart.” We thought we found the perfect place. It was everything I was praying for. We put in an offer to buy, site unseen, and our offer was accepted. Immediately, I was overcome with this sense of fear. This was a huge step. We traveled down to see the home, it was beautiful, perfect really. But, my husband and I both had a sense of fear,
dread, and we did not have peace. We made the decision to back out of the sale. Inside, I was devastated. It’s kind of silly now when I look back, but I was hurt, broken, angry, down right mad at God. Why would he bring the exact home I was praying for, allow us to have our offer accepted, only for us to not be at peace when we got there? Needless to say, I found myself stuck in a rut, big time. I found it hard to even want to open my Bible, gave up on praying for a place at the beach, believed it was just a dumb dream that would never happen, began to stress eat – because a big bowl of ice cream always makes me feel better in the moment, and was angry with my husband.

I think it’s important to be able to recognize when we get ourselves stuck in these situations. The devil wants nothing more than to keep you stuck. He has you right where he wants you. How do you know if you are stuck in a rut? Are you lacking passion, easily irritated, do you have unhealthy habits, social withdrawal, procrastination? The good news is if you find yourself stuck, there is a way out. Here are a few simple tips to help you get unstuck.

1. Don’t neglect your daily Bible reading and prayer time with God. You are a beloved child of the most high God. You belong to Him and he belongs to you.

2. Change how you are thinking. I was dwelling on all the negative things that didn’t go as planned. Dwell on the goodness of God.

3. Get outside. Go for a walk and get some fresh air. The vitamin D from the sun will do you well.

4. Pray for others. Stop being so self centered. Get your eyes off of yourself and begin to pray for those around you. Be an encouragement to others.

5. If you are angry, don’t keep it bottled up. Tell God how you really feel, don’t be shy, he already knows.

6. Learn to rest, re-charge, and re-set.

7. Start a challenge. Challenge yourself. Here are some examples of things you can try. Eat healthy, read a Proverb a day, memorize a scripture verse, get active, find something you enjoy doing, and do it. If you hate it, don’t do it.

For me, I allow my flesh to get in the way of my relationship with God. I can easily allow anger, disappointment, and hurt to creep in, which will only separate me further from God. By withdrawing from God, I am sinking further into the pit of depression, allowing resentment to build. I like to use the analogy of a plant. What do plants need to survive? They need light, water, and a nutrient rich soil. I love succulents. Mostly
because I can’t seem to kill them. They need minimal water, minimal attention, and grow beautifully. The succulent sucks in the water, and stores it up in their plump leaves. These plants are drought resistant, and can withstand weeks with no water, because they have stored up the water they need in their leaves. The same is true for the time you spend with God. Time spent in his word, is filling you, nourishing you, providing the
nutrients you need for those dry seasons in your life. When you become pressed down by the weight of life’s circumstances, God is with you. You may not feel it, but He is. While you may separate yourself from Him, He is not separating himself from you. He is there with you. I encourage you to press on. Even if you don’t feel like it, just do it! Continue to read His Word, worship Him, and allow Him to speak to you. Sometimes we don’t
get what we think we want. Sometimes, God may have a different plan, and perhaps, that plan may be better than we ever could have asked, thinked, or imagined.

As I sit here writing this, from our new home at the beach, far better than what we initially almost bought, I am in awe of how God works. His timing is perfect. Of all the specific things I prayed for, this home had them all, except for the palm tree. One morning God revealed to me that it actually does have the palm tree. You see, my bathroom window is an etched palm tree that shines so beautifully when the sun rises each morning. Sitting on my back deck I have a beautiful water view filled with all sorts of beautiful coastal birds, fish that leap out of the water, turtle heads bobbing up and
down all day, and palm trees blowing in the breeze next door.

I encourage you to renew your minds each day. Spend a few minutes alone in God’s word. Pray and ask God to help you with whatever it is you are struggling with. If you find yourself stuck in a rut, recognize it, and take the steps needed to move yourself to better ground. Pray to God. Ask Him for what you need. Don’t just ask once. Keep asking, keep praying, keep believing. I encourage you to write this verse down daily. Read it, write it, meditate on it.

Philippians 4:6-9
Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things.

Be blessed today!

Check out Lori’s Past Devotions