In 2014, I hit rock bottom. Six years earlier, our largest business endeavor — building multiple housing units — collapsed in the 2008 housing crisis, and we lost it all. That was devastating, but almost harder was what came after: six years of trying to come back, only to face failure upon failure. We went from a big house, to a smaller house, to an even smaller one. I remember one particular day, sitting on a camping chair in the African dust, with nowhere to go and no idea what to do.
I had fought to crawl out of the pit with all my strength, but every effort seemed to land me back at the bottom. Maybe you’ve been there — where your own strength is spent, the way forward is hidden, and the voice in your head says, “This is the end.”
But God did not leave me. Deuteronomy 31:6 promises that “He will never leave you nor forsake you,” and I began to see that truth in unexpected ways — a text from a friend, a phone call at just the right time, a small breakthrough when I had nothing left. It wasn’t an instant rescue. It was more like learning to breathe again. I began to cling to Him, letting Him lead, choosing to stay faithful even when I didn’t feel strong, and learning that His consistency is greater than my circumstances.
It was only looking back that I saw the real picture: getting out of the pit had not been one giant leap into the light — it was like walking up a spiral staircase. From above, it might have looked like I was going in circles, passing the same points over and over. But from the side, every loop was higher than the one before. Each turn was a step upward — higher in wisdom, higher in faith, higher in character, higher in trust.
Maybe today you feel stuck in a pit. Maybe you’re disappointed with yourself, with God, or with life. Maybe you feel like you’ve been here before, and you’re wondering if anything will ever change. I don’t know when your breakthrough will come. I don’t know when the light will fully break in. But I do know this: every day you live for Him, every step you take for His glory — even a tiny one — is moving you upward. “Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord rises upon you” (Isaiah 60:1).
Don’t quit. Take a breath. Pause if you need to. Rest. Take it one step at a time, because “no temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful” (1 Corinthians 10:13). The brightness at the top is closer than you think, and when you get there, you will not believe the strength, the faith, and the character that will have been forged in you.
Today is not the end. It’s the beginning — another day to rise up, take one more step, and trust that the God who is with you now will be with you at the top. He is faithful. He is leading. And you will see His glory in the land of the living.
🔥 This Week’s Mandate: Practicing Faithfulness in the Pit
Here are five ways to keep climbing your spiral staircase:
- Acknowledge Your Reality Be honest with God about where you are — pits, pain, and all. He’s not shocked. He’s present.
- Take One Step Don’t wait for clarity on the whole staircase. Take the next faithful step you do see.
- Feed on His Word Daily Even when it feels dry, Scripture is your nourishment for the climb.
- Celebrate Micro-Wins Notice small breakthroughs — the call, the encouragement, the answered prayer — and thank Him for each.
- Stay Connected Surround yourself with believers who will speak life and truth over you when you can’t see the light.
🙏 Reflect and Respond
- Where in life do I feel like I’m in a pit right now?
- Have I mistaken slow, upward progress for “going in circles”?
- What “small wins” can I thank God for this week?
- Who can I invite into my journey to help me keep climbing?
- What truth from Scripture do I need to cling to in this season?
🎧 Pause and Pray
Take a moment now. Ask God to show you one upward step you can take today. Let Him remind you: He has never left you. He never will. Here is my prayer for you this week - https://youtu.be/C2de0fvYEIg
📩 Share the Mandate
If you know someone in a pit, forward this to them. Let’s remind them: the light is closer than they think.
Until next Monday—build with purpose, lead with faith, and let your business preach.
Blessings, Melton