Christopher's First Mud Bath
Friday, August 21, 2026
“Don’t worry; we have 4-wheel drive.” – Dale Glading
My kids still remind me about my foolish boast from about 25 years ago while we were on a camping trip. We were driving on a muddy road and both Deanna and our kids expressed some concern about the conditions. Of course, no sooner did I utter those fateful words but our GMC Jimmy got bogged down in mud up to the hubcaps.
Tried as I might, I couldn’t get our vehicle extricated. All our wheels did was pin… yes, even when I used our 4-wheel drive option. As a last option, our three kids and I pushed from behind while Deanna floored the gas pedal.
Finally, the SUV lurched forward, but not before showering Christopher in mud. Somehow, the rest of us managed to avoid getting a mud bath.
Charles Spurgeon explains below how – when we fall into spiritual traps and temptations – God has the power to free us and cleanse us from the mess we’ve created. In fact, it usually takes us coming to the end of our own strength and relying exclusively on His to finally release us from Satan’s snares.
“It may need a sharp pull to save a soul from the net of temptations and a mighty pull to extricate a man from the snares of malicious cunning, but the Lord is equal to every emergency, and the most skillfully placed nets of the hunter will never be able to hold His chosen ones.”
“How joyfully may we encounter toils, and how cheerfully may we endure sufferings when we can lay hold upon the strength of the Lord. Divine power will thwart all the endeavors of our enemies, confound their politics, and frustrate their foolish tricks. Happy is the man who has such matchless might engaged upon his side. Our own strength would serve us poorly when trapped in the nets of our cunning enemy, but the Lord's refuge is always available; we have only to ask, and we will find it near at hand. If by faith we are depending solely on the strength of the mighty God of Israel, then our dependence may become the occasion of our prayer.”
“You free me from the net laid out for me, for You are my refuge.” Psalm 31:4 (BSB)
- Rev. Dale M. Glading, President
