C. H. Spurgeon exhorts people to sing new songs. “Grace has uplifted us from the pit of hell, from the ditch of sin, from the Slough of Despond, from the bed of sickness, from the bondage of doubts and fears: have we no song to offer for all this?” God’s grace delivers from many chains or cords. None of these chains could be broken by human effort nor outsourced to any angel.
Pit of hell: Bottomless pit and lake of fire are described as hell prepared as judgment for Satan and the fallen angels. (Revelation 9:1-2; 20:10) When humans choose to reject the Lord Jesus Christ, they automatically opt to be with Satan in eternity. However, by His grace, sinners are made righteous, receive eternal life to be with the Lord of Life forever.
Ditch of sin: King David sang that God lifted him from a horrible pit of miry clay and placed him on a rock, a stable and safe place. (Psalm 40:2)
Slough of Despond: In his epic, Pilgrim’s Progress, John Bunyan writes about the Christian’s journey, during which he reaches the Slough of Despond, a place of hopelessness, when the guilt of sin overwhelms him. Hope is possible only in the Lord Jesus Christ, who rose from the dead. There is deliverance and eternal hope for those who believe the gospel.
Bed of sickness: David was sick, and he was healed, raising him from the bed of sickness and death. Human bodies are created in such a way that there is the capacity to fight against diseases. Second, medicines help in healing. Third, God heals miraculously. In all these, God is the ultimate healer. David sings that God is the healer of all our diseases. (Psalm 103:3)
Bondage of doubts and fears: Most people are stressed because of fears, anxieties, worries, and doubts. A few are gripped by some kind of phobia. Fear of death is a bondage for all humans. The Lord Jesus Christ sets us free from that bondage, too. (Hebrews 2:15)
Do I joyfully and thankfully celebrate God’s grace?