Beloved Bible teacher Beth Moore is back with her new book and message, GET OUT OF THAT PIT. In her straight-from-the-heart and hip style, she explains that while most of us will find ourselves living in a pit at some point in our lives, it is possible to get out with God's help.

Describing herself as a "former pit-dweller," Moore takes full ownership of the topic. She believes that a variety of circumstances can lead to life in a pit. Sometimes you can be thrown in a pit without doing anything to invite it or deserve it. Recounting the story of Joseph with his brothers from Genesis 37, she offers Biblical precedent for the unexpected pits of life. Crime, drunk driving, disease, mental illness and rejection are just a few of the unwelcome devices that can lead to pit life.

But we can also find ourselves slipping into a pit. We may not mean to end up in the pit, but we're there anyway. The pit wasn't planned, but we certainly played a role in landing there because of our choices or sin. We wish there was someone else to blame, but at the end of the day it isn't anybody else's fault.

The third way we become pit dwellers is by jumping --- yes, actually diving into the pit. You can take a pit plunge. Unlike slipping into a pit before you know what's happening, you actually do know and decide to go in anyway even if it turns out to be darker or deeper than you expected.

Moore argues that all of us end up in pits in our life because we're thrown in, slip in or jump in. And the Biblical way out is to cry out, confess and consent. In other words, we are meant to cry out to God through prayer, confess our sins and consent to God's design for our lives. To help readers in the redemptive process of cry out, confess and consent, Moore provides a week's worth of daily scripture prayers that include these three aspects. In addition, readers will be pleased to find a discovery guide loaded with personal reflection and application questions.

One unique facet of this book is that Moore doesn't just draw stories from her own life and those of friends and fans; she also pulls stories from the life of her husband, Keith. He describes in the Foreword how at the age of two-and-a-half years old, he and his four-year-old brother were caught in an explosion and trapped inside a burning garage. While their father was able to save Keith, he literally watched his brother burn to death, reminding us that trauma, loss and death do not discriminate.

Overall, the message of GET OUT OF THAT PIT is clear and simple. We all find ourselves in various pits of life, but it is possible to get out of them with God's help. We can make the changes in our lives through His strength and wisdom, which lead to lasting change. And it's never too late to begin the process of change. This book will be a welcome resource to fans of Beth Moore, and it may find some crossover appeal to those who enjoy the straightforward approach of Dr. Phil.

   -