Eph.1:11,12 – In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will, that we who first trusted in Christ should be to the praise of His glory.
1 Tim.1:12-15 – And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord who has enabled me, because He counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry, although I was formerly a blasphemer, a persecutor, and an insolent man; but I obtained mercy because I did it ignorantly in unbelief. And the grace of our Lord was exceedingly abundant, with faith and love which are in Christ Jesus. This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief.
The Lord has a plan to bring glory to His Name. What He loves to do is magnify His grace by delivering us from some horrible pit. It makes no difference how far away from Him you were, He can bring you out and make your testimony a powerful praise to His Name.
Paul was trapped in the pit of religion, paralyzed in unbelief because of his sins and his inability to live a godly life. The Lord brought Paul out by showing Him His Son and His glorious plan of redemption. Paul was delivered from his sins and his inability to obey the law by faith through grace.
For the woman at the well in Samaria it was a different story and a different pit. She was entrapped in her sins and her search for satisfaction in a man. She was drinking from the wrong well and was set free when she met Christ at the well. He told her nothing in this life can satisfy you, only drinking the water that I can give can set you free. The point of the story of the woman at the well was her testimony. Like Paul, she couldn’t save herself. Only the grace of God could bring her our of her pit. This is what our testimony is all about. We all were without hope and without God and the Lord came to us and saved us. Our testimony brings glory and praise to the Lord. Whether you were in a pit of religion like Paul or trapped in the lusts of this world, God’s grace is our way out, this is all to bring praise to the glory of His grace.