Of all the complaints evoking empathy this day, the words,"no foothold," resound to the heart of the self-sufficient "doer," who is thrown off-balance by life and must learn lessons of trust and dependence. In many ways. it is only by losing false footholds that we ever learn anything about grounding ourselves in more solid soil or better still, solid rock.
"Save me, O God!
For the waters have come up to my neck.
I sink in deep mire,
where there is no foothold;
I have come into deep waters,
and the flood sweeps over me.
I am weary with my crying out;
my throat is parched.
My eyes grow dim
with waiting for my God."
(Psalm 69:1-3 ESV)
The soul cries out with its last ounce of strength.
"Strength is spent."
It is a real spiritual, mental, physical, and emotional reality that we or someone we know is living through.
Spiritually Spent Strength Syndrome (SSSS - sounds like a snore.)
Go ahead and pray Psalm 71 with me.
Part of the time, we are plugged in, but a few hours a day, we must run on batteries. Let's don't forget to recharge. Plug in!
The Prayer of an Old Preacher: Let me pass it on with the credible evidence on my own life:
"With the mighty deeds of the Lord GOD I will come;
I will remind them of your righteousness, yours alone."
"O God, from my youth you have taught me,
and I still proclaim your wondrous deeds.
So even to old age and gray hairs,
O God, do not forsake me,
until I proclaim your might to another generation,
your power to all those to come."(Psalm 71:16-18 ESV)