Have you ever had one of those moments when you just simply stopped and asked God to reveal just exactly what He is allowing to go on in your life and what the benefits are going to be from it? Of late, that is the very state that I have found myself in. Now I know, I'm a Pastor, and everything is always supposed to be a WINNING situation in my life but it just sometimes doesn't work out that way. I also know that a Pastor is sometimes looked at as always being on top in every area of life but that is just not true as well. The pressures of life affect me and my family just like they do any other person or family. So, with that said, I have spent a lot of time of late on my face before the Lord asking Him one simple question, "God why and why now?" Simple questions yet questions I think most of us have asked Him a time or two. Up until this past Sunday I haven't gotten my answer or at least I hadn't heard it if He had already replied to it. But Sunday evening I finally shut up long enough to hear Him and I got my answer. PRESSURE takes you to new levels and makes you the person He wants you to be. The important thing is that you react to the PRESSURE as Christ would.
Take for instance olive oil. You cannot get the oil out of an olive until you press the olive itself. Take an orange for example. You can't get orange juice until you squeeze the orange to it's breaking point. But look at our Savior as well. On His way to the cross he stops at Gethesemene. See Him there praying under such great pressure that the Bible records He literally sweat blood. He was feeling the PRESSURE. What PRESSURE you ask? Oh, well lets see, maybe the weight of bearing the sins of all mankind from the fall of man until eternity. Now that's some PRESSURE. But take it three days further and see what happened as a result of that PRESSURE. Our Savior came bursting forth from the grave on that first Easter Sunday and conquered death and hell all became better because of the PRESSURE. Wow...what a great Savior we serve.
So today, this week, this month or this year, what has been your greatest source of PRESSURE. Stop focusing on the element of PRESSURE and start looking for what God is trying to get you to become or do as a result of that PRESSURE. Turn the tables on your enemy. Take what he meant for evil and your destruction and let God use it for your good and your growth. Romans 8:28 is still true. Maybe that is the verse for you this week. Press me dear God, if it makes me better and more like You!
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