Get Out of That Pit: Straight Talk about God's Deliverance

by Beth Moore

Beth Moore wants readers to know if God could lift her out of the pit, He can get ANYONE out! She admits she wasn't just a visitor; this former pit-dweller had to be delivered from acres of life-accumulated dirt, bone-chilling darkness, spirit-deadening anger, heart-breaking desperation and mind-numbing confusion. The permanent lessons she learned in her desperation are lessons of hope for all of us. Deliverance is for everyone, she proclaims - no matter how you got stuck, no matter how long you've been down, whether you think you deserve it or not. And in her straight-talking but loving style, she reminds readers that deliverance can begin for them this very day. Comes complete with a study guide in the back of the book.

Genres: Christian, Nonfiction, Christian Living, Self Help, Faith, Christianity, Spirituality

249 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2007

About the author

Beth Moore has written many best–selling books and is a dynamic teacher and a prolific Bible–study author whose public speaking engagements take her across the United States to challenge tens of thousands. Beth is focused on teaching women all over the world and is known and respected wherever she goes. She is a dedicated wife and mother of two adult daughters and lives in Houston, Texas, where she leads Living Proof Ministries and teaches an adult Sunday school class. Beth is one of the best known women in the evangelical Christian market.

Reviews

[mark monday · Rating 4 out of 5]

The author is one of the most renowned and respected of living Bible-study teachers and evangelists. I've witnessed her these past few years as she wrestled with the sexism and Trump worship of the Southern Baptist Convention. (She eventually left that organization.) I think she's wonderful. Empathetic, generous, rigorous in her centering of Scripture, transparent about her own struggles. This book was written as if she were talking directly to her readers and so it is easy to hear her voice and to understand her goal: the down to earth and relatable Beth Moore is on a mission to support those believers who are struggling as she has struggled. In particular, she seeks to support women.

I bought this book for my devout mom as a Christmas gift in 2020. In the early, especially scary days of the coronavirus pandemic, she was abandoned by my dad, who basically ran away in the pre-dawn hours of a September morning, before she had woken up for the day. (And we still don't know where he is.) Understandably, she fell into a pit of depression & anger & loneliness & fear. Fortunately, her faith in God helped her immensely. My sister and I have tried to support her as best as we can. I fly down to visit her every other month or so. I've read a chapter of this book out loud each time I've visited, and then we discuss the message that Beth is delivering in that chapter. It's hard to express how much the author's often challenging, always healing words have supported my mom, and given me food for thought. Tonight we finished the last chapter. This was a wonderful experience and inspired many deep, emotional, and uplifting conversations between the two of us.

Some friends and colleagues have been taken aback after I've mentioned being a believer. (I accepted Jesus Christ as my personal savior way back in junior high.) I think it has sometimes been challenging for folks to reconcile the person that they know - progressive, bisexual, anti-authoritarian, sardonic, someone who certainly enjoys ungodly pleasures - with a person who loves God. Perhaps surprising to GR friends as well, given my appreciation of sex, violence, and horror in my reading. Shrug, people are complicated.

But back to the book... well, actually not much more to say. Definitely feeling a lot of gratitude. Thank you, Beth Moore! You've really helped my mom out a lot.

[Lauren · Rating 5 out of 5]

You should read this. I loved this book. I really didn't want to. I did not want to be just another mainstream Christian Beth Moore fan but alas, I did love it. For some reason, God keeps sending me things that I need to hear. He's kind of good like that. Most of the book is about recognizing when you're in a pit and the three ways you get in them; being pushed in, falling in and diving in. Just like Beth, I have been in several forms of pits of varying sizes and for various reasons. The most intriguing parts that resonated with me were about how only God pulls you from the pit and plants your feet firmly. Not a well-meaning friend, not a fantastic counselor, not a minister, just God. While all of these people can be helpful, they can easily end up right next to you in the pit without meaning too and may even keep you there. You'll have to read the book to understand what I mean by that maybe.

I think the last 2 chapters were just what I needed. The first is about knowing you're out of the pit by having a new song. If you know me, you know I always have a song in my heart, whether it is ridiculous like the price is right theme song (which is constantly there) or fantastic like Beautiful Things or You are the Beauty (musically my favorite and lyrically excellent). I had goosebumps reading about how God loves music and puts a song in our hearts. I think it is going to blow our minds when we go to heaven and God starts beat boxing and rapping with a Heavenly Host doing background vocals. It will be truly awesome. It reminds me of The Magician's Nephew, when Aslan creates Narnia. He sings everything to life with his music. What an absolutely cool way to think of heaven. I can't yet grasp it but I wait with true anticipation. The last chapter is an encouragement about God has already won the battle for us. The entire book hints at Psalm 23:1-2, The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. Beth's correlation between still waters and living waters in Revelation is refreshing, it LITERALLY (haha) restores my soul with life as I read it.

I also just loved the down to earth nature of Beth. Her stories resonated with me. Her examples hit close to the heart. I heard her speak live once. The thing she said was, "You have to eat the message before you tweet the message." I'm soaking this stuff up.

[Kait · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was ok. I mean, she has a lot of good things to say, but I found it a little too "Christian", meaning that she used a lot of "Christian" language, and maybe not so much "real life" language. It's not bad, but it will certainly only speak to a certain crowd.

I found it hard to think of my circumstances as a "pit". I preferred the imagery in "Your God is Too Safe" by Mark Buchanon better (for my life/experiences). I did, however, like the imagery of thinking of your life's soundtrack - what would that sound like? What song do you sing with your life?

I think that this book is definitely worth reading, and that a lot of people would take wonderful things away from this book. My feelings about it are in no way negative, I just found it wasn't all that applicable for me.

[Joan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Moore knows what it is like to be in a pit. Sexually abused at a young age, she needed to be delivered from a pit. She shares what she has learned from her experience and her study of Scripture.

I appreciate that Moore distinguishes the ways we get into a pit. Our own decisions, perhaps to sin, is only one of the ways. It might very well be the sin of another, such as a parent or an abuser. Perhaps it is a tragedy, such as to another family member or close friend.

The good news is that we don't have to stay in that pit. Moore helps us understand that, although God may use people, He must be the Deliverer. He will not share His glory with another. She is convinced of the power of praying Scripture and gives a week of sample prayers at the end of the book.

I thought Moore was particularly insightful when writing about the role of other people. We might look to another to help us our of the pit. We might think we can help someone else get out of their pit. Moore helps us understand how we can impact others and also what we should avoid.

Moore presents a challenge to readers. “God will be your Deliverer or nothing at all.” (115) God wants everything we've got. That's a prerequisite to deliverance readers must accept before expecting God to move.

She tells lots of stories on herself to illustrate the principles she teaches. She has a good sense of humor that I really appreciated. The combination of personal stories and some humor make this book a pleasure to read, even though it is about a very serious subject.

I highly recommend this book to those who truly want to get out of their pit. This book fills in the teaching so often missing from our pulpits. Moore has provided reflection questions and personal application suggestions at the end of each chapter. That makes it a great book for individual use or with a group of trusted friends.

This book was first published in 2007.

I received a complimentary copy of this book through Handlebar. My comments are an independent and honest review.

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

I listened to this book on audio and that was MUCH BETTER.
It's a lot easier to listen to Beth Moore speak than to read her ideas in book form. She often starts out with an analogy that meanders for a while before it is concluded in an understandable fashion. Once it's all "tied up," I get it and say, "Oh, okay." But sometimes during the reading, I get lost as to where the heck she's going. It's like getting led around blind-folded.
It's much easier to hear her present her ideas to an audience and make her points verbally, I think.
That said, this book still holds oh so many GREAT nuggets, I still think it's AWESOME and worth the read! Powerful stuff with a VERY PRACTICAL section in the back to help guide the reader in prayer.
I especially love that all of Beth's answers are GROUNDED IN THE BIBLE. Her weapons are God's Word-- Bible verses-- not just her own human thoughts. She often shares her own testimony to make it all come to life, but it's not HER insight that she depends on. It's God's Word and how HE led her through. That's why I just love Beth Moore. Such a blessing.

[Mary Jackson _TheMaryReader · Rating 4 out of 5]

We all fall and get back up again and Beth has shared that with us in her Book Get out of that Pit. It's 10 year anniversary is this year and Beth has repacked this wonderful book. I like this cover much better than the old one. The content is the same nothing changed.

But now you can share it with new readers in your life going through something hard or in pain and need to know that there is hope.

Beth shares how Gods love and presence is right here with us. She shares scriptures through out the book. And the end of the book has A discovery Guide for you to use in a bible study or small group. I hope that everyone picks up a copy of this book and shares it is well.

I gave this book 4 stars and I recommend it.

The Mary Reader received this book from the publisher for review. A favorable review was not required and all views expressed are our own.

[Daniel · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is my first Beth Moore book. She is a good writer. I liked how she handled the topic. Sometimes there may be a little more to getting out of the pit than what she goes into here. However, her action plan for getting out of the pit is the best starting place I've read. It will take you far.

[Kristin Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

The bottom line that hit me was: "if you are a confirmed pit-jumper, you’ve probably got a pretty serious authority problem over all. Forgive my amateur psychology, but my guess is that your primary authority figure was or is either a wimp or a fraud. God is neither."

Beth repeated: "So much of our propensity toward pit-jumping springs from the fact that somewhere down deep inside, we just don’t trust God. We think He’s like all the others who have cheated or betrayed us."

I loved the scripture prayers that she put in the back of the book!

[Kathy Bowling · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love how real Beth Moore is. She doesn't pretend to have already arrived. And that makes her testimony all the more inspiring. We all live in pits and encourage each other to make homes in them. Instead, the Lord wants something more for us and from us.

[John Pyrce · Rating 1 out of 5]

Moore's book is not what I typically read, but I was curious about the message and the rationale. Moore has a folksy writing style that is charming, although it does occasionally cross over to the assertively lowbrow (e.g., a description of how out of place she felt attending a symphony concert in Washington DC: live classical music is not that commonly attended, but I don't think it's inherently elitist. )

Moore presents a vision of Christianity as the best way of dealing with problems in life, especially by accepting God, somehow divining (no pun intended) his goals for you, and following these. It isn't even necessary that the recipient do anything; sometimes they just receive this grace effortlessly. I can see how this vision can be comforting. But I'm left puzzled by it. God has a plan for you, but you have to deduce it yourself? Why not just make it obvious?

I was concerned that sometimes the problems she describes are best treated in other ways. She says that one of her daughters had an eating disorder, which she was able to successfully treat through faith. I'm concerned that this may not be the best strategy for a medical problem.

For me one of the essential questions for religion is the existence of evil. Moore deals with this by postulating an evil adversary, who is doomed to fail but is still very powerful. I an unconvinced of this assertion.

I happened to read Russel Brand's book "Recovery" on using 12 step programs to deal with addictions at the same time. Its interesting to compare them. Both authors have a distinctive writing style that connects with the reader (although the details of the writing could not be more different. Brand tends to the obscene.) 12 step programs in their formulation are essentially religious, using a higher power to help inspire the addict to reform. But, Brand recognizes a possible non-religious interpretation (although he ultimately does not follow that himself). And the 12 step program seems to me to be more functional in terms of the process it proposes for actually effecting a change. If you're an addict.

My 1 star rating is not meant to reflect poorly on this book; rather as the star rating descriptions says, I "did not like it". I'm sure many find this effective for them, based on the average reader rating. I didn't find it convincing.

[Hunter · Rating 5 out of 5]

I borrowed this book from a friend. It's very inspiring, especially when you're going through a difficult time. Or if you're in a FUNK. (Of course Moore writes for the ladies). She has such an honest writing style that has a way of penetrating to the core.

[Power N · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jesus Himself saved my life through the reading of this book and Him walking me through my first deliverance Himself.

[Cynda · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is not too much information.

When my forever friend Jessica and I were in our early 40s, she decided and said we were too far along the spiritual path to be acting out anymore, that the path becomes narrower as we find our way back to Source/Creator. This is true for all friends of our youth.

Since we run informal, non-scientific experiments, I ran such an experiment. I ran straight down into The Pit by my own decisions and actions. Climbing out even with God's Help was not easy. I felt spiritually wobbly for weeks. No not ever doing that again.

Except recently I did so to a much smaller degree. I was helped there by a relationship issue. This time I used only a soup spoon rather than a shovel to dig to the level where I got. This time I got out with much more Ease and Grace.

I have a deep appreciation of Beth Moore. She simplifies and clarifies messages of hope and direction. I noticed this book sometime ago, a year or more ago. I noted it for future use. Now I put it into present use.

The message of hope is based on Psalm 40.

I waited patiently for the Lord.

He turned to me and heard my cry.

He lifted me out of the slimy pit.

He set my feet on a rock.

He put a new song in my mouth.

I read from tree book and listened to audio book at same time. . . . .Does the plan to remember where to find the book and the need for the book mean God had a Plan along? Who knows. Just glad to be climbing out if the Pit.

[Jenna · Rating 5 out of 5]

My first complete Beth Moore and it won't be my last. Loved the Godly insight and wisdom.

[Steven King · Rating 4 out of 5]

Who has not experienced living life and suddenly feeling beat down by one’s circumstances? The feeling that your feet are stuck in miry clay, and, no matter what your effort you never break free. You feel as if you have fallen into a pit and cannot get out. There is no comfort in the pit; rather the continual reminder that you are stuck.

Into this common reality, Beth Moore’s "Get Out of That Pit" breaks through with alacrity that is certain to resonate with the sullenest pit dwellers. Her message is one of both hope and deliverance – a way to break free of the pit. Relying upon a recent event of deliverance in the Psalmist’s life, Moore culls her thesis from Psalm 40 [NET]:

1I relied completely on the Lord, and he turned toward me and heard my cry for help. 2 He lifted me out of the watery pit, out of the slimy mud. He placed my feet on a rock and gave me secure footing. 3 He gave me reason to sing a new song, praising our God.

From a biblical expositional point of view, it would be hard to not catch the “simple meaning” of this text. As we were frequently reminded in seminary, “Wherever possible, the plain meaning is the meaning of the text.” Herein Moore deliciously shares personal examples that illustrate her own recollections of being stuck in life. Her style is witty and one gets the impression that it should be read in rapid staccato fashion.

Having only been peripherally aware of Moore’s ministry and writings, my middle daughter helped clarify my reaction to this book. She informed me that Beth Moore’s ministry is primarily discipleship of women and that she writes just like she speaks. [Having Googled her presentations for review, I concur: she writes just as she speaks.] My daughter gleefully exclaimed, “She writes in such a way that connects with women. They read it and exclaim, ‘Yes, I fully get where you’re coming from.’”

Some will find that style distracting – listening to rapidly paced speaking is one thing but maneuvering through that type of writing can leave you disenchanted. Frequently I felt as if Ms. Moore struggled for fodder to prove her point and resorted to a type of repetitive rambling to flesh out the chapters. She also has a penchant for beginning sentences with “Beloved,” which felt artificially maternal.

Perhaps the most poignant chapter is entitled, “The Three Steps Out of Your Pit.” Therein Moore proposes a three-step solution to coming out of the pit:
• Cry out
• Confess
• Consent

Ostensibly this becomes, Cry out to God; Confess your belief in his ability; and Consent to his will. Moore scores a home run here as this simple mantra does seem to be at the core of a proper relationship with God.

I doubt the reader will disagree with anything she has written. However, those desiring deeper exegetical study will be slightly disappointed as Ms. Moore employs a favorite strategy of topical preaching: pick a version of Scripture whose wording agrees with your point. In that way, you can attribute an artificial biblical authority to your own point. Far better to stick with one primary version of Scripture and then appeal to other translations to illustrate difference. Methinks a good writer could tie the two together and strengthen the thesis desired.

Whether you have created your own pit, jumped in intentionally, or life has forced you in, you will find solace in Get Out of That Pit. Conceivably, this writing makes for good devotional reading. For those desiring to adapt it to group study plentiful chapter-based discussion questions can be found in the Discovery Guide at the end.

[Jalynn Patterson · Rating 5 out of 5]

About the Book:

From her first breath of fresh air beyond the pit, it has never been enough for Beth Moore to be free.

This best-selling author and Bible teacher who has opened the riches of Scripture to millions longs for you to be free as well--to know the Love and Presence that are better than life and the power of God's Word that defies all darkness.

Beth's journey out of the pit has been heart-rending. But from this and the poetic expressions of Psalm 40 has come the reward: a new song for her soul, given by her Saviour and offered to you in Get Out of That Pit--friend to friend. This is Beth's most stirring message yet of the sheer hope, utter deliverance, and complete and glorious freedom of God:

I waited patiently for the Lord

He turned to me and heard my cry

He lifted me out of the slimy pit

He set my feet on a rock

He put a new song in my mouth

It is a story, a song--a salvation--that you can know too.

[New Cover for 10th Anniversary]


My Review:

Get Out of That Pit is getting a facelift for its 10 year anniversary. The cover was redone but the content is the same. The same because it is timeless and appeals to a wider audience each and every time that it will go through a transition period. Its easy to get into a pit of gloom and despair especially when we are struggling and we fail to see that God is right by our side at each and every turn. We go through different phases of that depression and despair and we do all we can many times without realizing it that we are digging ourselves deeper and deeper into a hole.


With Beth's life altering words we can reach for the Lord, the Lord that will reach down and remove us from the pit that we find ourselves in. He is fine with us being in a pit from time to time but he is not okay with us staying there. My family recently heard some tragic news to us involving my son. It is not a life or death situation but one that will be life altering for him. We cried and prayed and cried some more. Meanwhile, I have a very scared teenage son that wonders how is this going to effect his life as he gets older. When the questions rose from his precious heart we didn't know what to say except son, we aren't sure but we will figure it out together.


God is sure and positive on the fact that we will question our life at every turn and He welcomes it. He just wants us to look through all the fog and dust and find Him in each situation, because if we look for Him, we will find Him there waiting. Beth's book is about not letting circumstance beat us down to the point of never moving again. We let God down as well as ourselves when we choose to let our life steamroll over us.


Get Out of That Pit, is a navigation plan to get out of that pit and to do it God's way!


**Disclosure**This book was sent to me free of charge for my honest review from the author. All opinions are my own.

[raccoon reader · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent audiobook for those of us who are seeking ways out of depression beyond just taking a pill. I like Moore's descriptions of pits, how we get there and how to get out. I'd love to see her do more on this series with books just about one type of pit. It is always encouraging to hear of other peoples struggles as well and not only does more talk about other peoples but also her own. There's so much to cover on these topics that this book really is just an intro to each type of pit to get you acquainted with thinking of depression as a hole you can be lifted out of with help. Because of how "overview" this book felt, I'd love to see a book devoted entirely to each of the pits. I know I would buy/listen to it. My only complaint is that Ms. Moore talks reeeeeally fast and so you have to keep your brain going at her southern girl speed or you will get lost.

[Mirya · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had a very hard time putting this book down. Honestly, I didn't think I was in the pit. That is until I read and meditated on this book. The only reason I got this book was because it was Beth Moore's latest and I got it at one of her conferences.

I've learned a lot by evaluating my life, even if you don't think you have a problem. Everything might be going grand, you still have to ask God if you are walking on his path and not headed for the pit straight head that Satan has dug for you to fall in. To remember that even if you do fall into a sink hole, put your pride aside and ask God to throw down a life line and help pull you out. Such an inspiring story.

[Molly · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book, but I enjoyed the author even more. Surprisingly, I have never read a Beth Moore book until now. While I like the book, I really liked her flavor and the way she came across. She is very real, personal and oddly, even though I don't know her I felt loved by her. Maybe it's just a girly female thing, but I feel that way with Liz Curtiss Higgs as well and I love reading her stuff. Beth Moore really does make you feel like you are having a great deep chat with a friend who likes you and you can laugh with. Good book, and even better writer.

[Amanda · Rating 2 out of 5]

Get Out of That Pit! is a book about the "pits" of life, how we get into them, and how we can get out through the power of God. The chapters on how we get into pits - we can be pushed in by someone else, fall in unintentionally, or jump in fully knowing what we are doing - were golden. I found the rest of the book to be just ok. Moore's tone is very conversational with a lot of anecdotes, and that's just not my style.

[Amanda · Rating 2 out of 5]

Well meaning, but confusing to read. Moore also twists Bible verses to suit her needs, and contradicts herself on more than one occasion. I wouldn't recommend this to anyone needing real help. There are better resources out there. For full review, see here. http://eagleswingsbooks.blogspot.com/...

[Julie N · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love Beth Moore and I loved this book. She has a very personable tone in all of her books and you really feel like she is sitting there talking to you. I've always struggled with depression and this book really helped me out of a low place.

[Laura The Book Reader · Rating 3 out of 5]

I started this book years ago and finally picked it back up and started over to finish it this time. Here are the things I underlined in the book.

There are no permanent pit-dwellers, except those who refuse to leave. Pits are not places of contentment.

Three ways to know that you are in a pit: you feel stuck, you can't stand up effectively to your enemy, and you've lost vision.

A pit only gets deeper. You feel ineffective and utterly powerless against attack. Satan cannot make you stay and God won't make you leave. A pit is so poorly lit we can not see things that may once have been obvious to us.

Three ways to get into a pit: thrown into a pit, slip into a pit, jump into a pit.

A grudge against people who have hurt you only strengthens the grip of bondage to them.

Here are some examples of ways to be thrown into a pit that starts on page 25 of the book...

-Like my young friends, Cara, Christen, and Amanda, who watched a drunk teenager drive her car off the road, into the yard, and over their mother, you can be thrown into a pit by a sudden tragedy.

-Like one precious woman in Bible study who was stabbed repeatedly by a boyfriend she tried to break up with, you can be thrown into the pit by violent crime.

-Like my family of origin, you can be thrown into a pit by a loved one suffering from mental illness. I cannot adequately voice the fear that can be incited by someone with serious bouts of irrational thinking.

-Also like my family, you can be thrown into a pit by an alcoholic leaving a deep path of destruction too wide to avoid. I cast no condemnation on this loved one. There but for the grace of God should I have gone.

-Like my friend Sara, you can be thrown into a pit by your spouse's declaration that, after twenty years of marriage, he's in love with someone else and he's leaving.

-Like Sara's children, you can be thrown into a pit by a parent who suddenly abandons the home. If you're fortunate, you're still told how much you are loved, but somehow all you can feel is how you've been left.

-Like Eric, a brother in Christ, you can be thrown into a pit by a heartless woman who says you've bored her to tears and she's going to have some fun without you.

-Like my friend Shawn and staggering numbers of others, you can by thrown into a pit by a life threatening disease...even imminent death.

-Like Jim and Connie, you can be thrown into a pit by the birth of a severely handicapped child who may never recognize your face, but will probably outlive you.

-Like Charles and Gayle, you can be thrown into a pit by a house fire that happened in one brief window of opportunity when you had no insurance.

-Like numerous members of my church in Houston, you can be thrown into a pit by traumatic financial loss when a company like Enron comes tumbling down.

-Like eight-year-old Jay and twelve-year-old Angela, you can be thrown into a pit when your successful father goes to prison for corporate crimes.

-Or, like so many children standing in the same line with Melissa and me as we waited to see a loved one who was doing time in jail, you can be thrown into a pit by a crackhead parent who rarely sobers up enough to care.

-Like me, you can be thrown into a pit by a close relative selfish and sick enough to molest you when you were a child.

-Like Mary, Sue, Ginny, Heather, Buddy, Randy, and so many others with real names and real pain, you can be thrown into a pit by the death of a beloved, irreplaceable child.

Satan knows that even when we're innocent of any reason for being in a pit, we are well aware that we are far from innocent in other things. He plays mind games with our consciences so that for the life of us, we can't seem to distinguish between those areas where we are guilty and those where we are innocent. So, you can be in a pit innocently, even if you haven't always been innocent.

For Satan to talk us into distrusting God and distancing ourselves from Him is to keep us broken, ineffective, and frankly, out of his hair.

At the end of the book of Job, he didn't have his original questions answered, but this he knew: his God was huge, his God was wise, and his God would redeem. Blaming God as a means of charging Him with wrongdoing will only dig us into a deeper pit. However, holding God ultimately responsible in the healthy way, as His word suggests, will be our ticket out.

Beth's husband, Keith, was thrown into a pit by the sudden death of a sibling while they were playing together as children. Keith wished it had been him instead of his brother. He and Beth were talking about the pit he and his family were thrown into and Keith was wondering what he would have been like if the tragedy hadn't happened. God gave this answer to Beth," You're a much neater person healed than you would have been well." I absolutely love that response.

Your wealth of experiences makes you rich. Spend it on hurt people.

God can bring you to a place where you are willing to do anything to get out of the pit and everything to stay out.

In the bible, Joseph's story is the first time a pit is mentioned. His brothers threw him in and were going to kill him, but decided to sell him into slavery instead. Psalm 105:18 says his feet were bruised with shackles and his neck was put in irons. He was 17 years old. Before they sold him, they ate their lunch while he cried from the pit for help.

People can help us, but they can't heal us. People can lift us, but they can't carry us. On occasion people can pull us out of a pit, but they cannot keep us out. Nor can they set us upon a rock. When we come out of a pit, if our idea of stability is standing on another human's shoulders, his clay feet will inevitably crumble and we'll take a tumble. The job's too big for them.

There are three steps out of a pit: cry out, confess and consent.

As you prepare for your ascent out of that pit, confess every sin of your own actions, words, or thoughts that you believe contributed to your defeat. Even if you were thrown into your pit, search your heart to see if bitterness has taken root, if anger, lack of forgiveness, or coldness is building you a home down there under the ground. Examine your heart and see if, somewhere amid your loss of control, you sought to regain it with manipulation. Ask yourself if you use your love as a weapon. Get as specific as you can and when you think you've thought of everything, ask God if there is anything you're overlooking.

God initiates conversation through conviction, and we answer back through confession. And remember that confession is incomplete until we actively accept God's certain forgiveness.

Bind yourself to God with everything you've got so that you will ultimately and inevitable go anywhere He does.

How do you know when you are finally out of your pit? Psalm 40:2 says, "He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings."

God is not only a firm place to stand, He is a firm place to stay.

A loyal spouse doesn't wait until someone flirts with them at work to decide if they are going to be faithful. They already made the decision to stand by their spouse BEFORE a circumstance posed the question.

This is how God is with you. He's firm. He's loyal. He made up His mind about you before the foundation of the world...regardless of who has betrayed you and what promises they didn't keep.. God is firm in His commitment to you. Circumstances don't cause Him to rethink His position. Even if you have multiple trips to the pit, His affection is unwavering. The Rock is yours for the standing. Without hesitation God offers you a firm place to stand, but your feet are not firmly set in place until you've made up your own mind that's where you want to be. He will not force you to stand or force you to stay. You have to choose.

Circumstances will offer unceasing invitations back to the pit. You can insulate yourself from the temptation for only so long. At some point you have to get out there, plant your own two feet upon the Rock, and resist. Once, then twice, ten times, then twenty-five, thirty, fifty...till your flesh submits and your enemy gives up on that front and quits. Sooner or later, relying on the power of Christ acting through you, you're going to have to face your foe and win. You can't just run from him and hide...because he'll keep showing up wherever you go.

There's nothing quite like trying to stay out of the pit while others close to you are still in it. If you're the first one who escapes a family pileup, you'd think your fellow pit-dwellers would be happy that at least you got out. You'd think your deliverance would give them hopes of their own, but for some reason that's often not the way it works. Usually when you get out of the pit, somebody in the family feels betrayed that you felt a change was necessary. They think it means you're saying something is wrong with the rest of them. Sometimes when a person decides to have a mind made up toward God and feet firmly set upon the Rock, loyalty to Him is misinterpreted as disloyalty toward family.

The healthier we get, the more we realize how unhealthy we were.

Just as you waited upon God for your own deliverance, wait upon Him for theirs. Pray hard for them. Love them lavishly, but as a Rock-dweller, not as a fellow pit-dweller.

Some relationships won't survive your deliverance from the pit. Most of them don't need to. You discover that the pit was all you had in common, and that under different circumstances you wouldn't even have been drawn together.

Maybe you think you can't live without a certain person, but that's not true. You discover that you can't live with them outside the pit. Let them go. It's depleting energy that you need for your great escape.

Beware of anyone who tries to become indispensable to you. Boldly identify any "pusher" in your life. This is anyone who keeps feeding the unhealthy part of you because it feeds the unhealthy part of them. Never forget that "good-bye" is a necessary life skill.

The book has prayers in the back as well as lots of questions divided by chapter.

[Claudia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Many parts echoed in my heart. These are some:
* God's love is better than life. No one compares.
* If you're willing to engage God as your deliverer from the pit, the full-throttle relationship you develop with Him will be the most glorious thing that has ever happened to you. Far more glorious than the deliverance itself.
* If you will take God up on what He offers so that you can live in victory, you will find thankfulness in your heart for every person who let you down.
* Until you finally make up your mind that you're cleaving to God and calling upon His power from now on until Hades freezes over, your feet are set upon a banana peel.
* When you've made the decision and given your heart, mind, and soul in all their fissured parts, and when you've given your past, present, and future to Him who can keep you from falling (Jude 1:24); and when you know you're absolutely in, come what may... congratulations, you're out of the pit, and your feet are on a rock.
Plus, there is a whole chapter dedicated to the beauty of worship.

[Sabrina · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was a pleasant read and didn't take a long time to read. I am sure I would have gotten more out of it if I did it either as a study or even knew about the questions for each chapter at the back of the book.

I love how Moore always hits something that I have felt/thought but not necessarily shared with anyone. Today, I will share the one from this book, towards the end... "Most folks agree that heaven is a better option than hell but, comparatively speaking, only a handful of Christians read anticipate their futures there. Face it. We're scared to death that it's goin to be like church services, only instead of getting out at noon, it will last eternity."- Beth Moore, Get Out of That Pit.

[Elaine · Rating 5 out of 5]

I couldn't put it down. I actually woke up at 5:30am on my day off to finish it. She speaks so lovingly to the reader and you can just feel God speaking through her. I had a pen with me through the read because I feel I will need to come back to this book often.

[Michelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

While this book had some great information and I learned from it, it was written in such a convoluted way. It was difficult to sort through some of it to find what was being said. This was not written at all like any of the other books I've read by this author.

[LaTrice McNeil-Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good!

[Megan Alford · Rating 5 out of 5]

Listened to this audiobook on a roadtrip today. I think I bought it years ago, but only recently found it. I particularly loved Beth’s teaching on the word “wait” at the end of Chapter 7. It’s my word of the year, and her message really resonated with me.

[Kayce · Rating 5 out of 5]

Goodness knows we’ve all been in pits before and wondered how we get ourselves out of them. This message is certainly good and helpful in times like those. I didn’t pick this book up now because I’m currently struggling in a pit, rather I love Beth Moore’s teaching (and if you’ve been following this blog, are well aware of that fact) and I had this in my pile at home. Time to get through these books and either swap them on PaperBackSwap or give away to those who want to read them. I don’t keep books around because (as I once heard in a movie), “I like to lighten my load.”

Anyway, this is probably one of my favorite Beth Moore books yet. Despite the fact that I couldn’t necessarily relate at this season in my life, her teaching is clear, and this is also probably the most entertaining book of hers to read. Her husband, Keith, who she references often and is madly in love with, authors the Foreword of the book. They are such an adorable couple and I love how contagious their faith and beliefs are!

Beth teaches there are three ways we find ourselves in pits: We are thrown in (think: young child gets abused by a parent), we slip in when we are distracted (think: someone who just wants to watch their weight and then find themselves dealing with a serious eating disorder), and we jump into a pit knowing we shouldn’t be there (think: someone who wanted to have an affair or someone who wanted to steal that money). Of course there are tons and tons of other examples, and we’ve probably all been in pits through all of these methods- albeit different types of pits. We just can’t help ourselves. We’re human and we make mistakes regularly.

Several though-provoking points stuck out throughout this book:

* When we won’t forgive, the people we often want to be around least because they’ve hurt us so badly are the very people we take with us emotionally everywhere we go.
* Remember, God’s pursuit is relationship. Confession is one way we talk back after He speaks. He initiates conversation through conviction, and we answer back through confession.
* Without Jesus, history reads just like prophecy.
* Smooth living invariably, eventually, makes for sloppy spirituality.
* No family is perfect, and perhaps none less so than the one that tries to convince us it is.
* Our hearts and minds still need considerable healing as long as somewhere deep inside we still associate fun with sin.

Those are just a few nuggets in this book filled with biblically sound teaching and instruction on how to protect ourselves from falling into a pit. God is always there ready to deliver us if only we seek Him and ask. This was brilliantly written, Beth’s humble attitude and willingness to share her trials to help others grow is endearing, and I highly recommend this book!

5/5 stars, without a doubt!