Being Rescued By God: A Look at Psalm 40

If you’re walking through psychosis, bipolar disorder, anxiety, depression, or intense mental health struggles, working with a licensed Christian Counselor can and should be an important part of healing.

Psalm 40 has always held a special place in my heart. However, after my personal experiences over the last decade, the meaning has grown even deeper.

“I waited patiently for the Lord; he turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand. He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear the Lord and put their trust in him.” – Psalms 40:1-3 NIV

For me, the slimy pit that God pulled me out of was my struggle with mental health. I experienced a very public manic and psychotic episode which led to three hospitalizations and a diagnosis of bipolar disorder.

I lost a lot of friends in the process, and the church I was attending asked me not to come back.

For me, my struggle with bipolar stemmed from incorrect thinking about God. I started to believe he was speaking to me about my future in my early twenties, which led to my being focused on dreams, visions, and signs from God.

Eventually I began believing conspiracy theories and became very paranoid about being watched.

All of this led to me experiencing the episodes that got me hospitalized. Even on medication, I still constantly struggled to avoid returning to the thought patterns that led to my psychosis.

But I found freedom in realizing that my way of thinking about God was the trigger that brought on those episodes.

I stopped seeking signs and looking ahead to the future. Instead, I focused on what was right in front of me and what the Bible says about God.

When I changed my thinking, I stopped feeling like I could have another episode at any moment.

Paranoia disappeared and mania became a distant memory. I found my husband, bought a home, and God blessed us with a daughter and now a son.

I still remember some of my first moments with my daughter. I was nursing her on the couch late one night, just absolutely filled with gratitude for how God had put my life back together. He truly pulled me from the mud and put a new song in my mouth, just like the Psalm declares.

What pit were you rescued from by God? Take a moment to remember what he’s done for you and let your heart be filled with joy. Praise Him for what He’s done in your life!

Or perhaps you are still waiting for God to pull you out of the mud and mire. Whatever you are currently struggling with, I hope my story encourages you that God is on his way to rescue you.

He is faithful and he will never forsake you! One day you will look back on your struggle with joy, seeing how God carried you through it.

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