My wife has instilled something into all our grandkids that I don’t quite get - It is a love for the “I Love Lucy” reruns. That’s the only thing they want to watch when they come over our house. We’ve seen every episode dozens of times.
I have to admit, she is really funny and she makes us laugh a lot with all her antics.
There is one episode that sticks out in my mind that reminds me of this verse of scripture: It is of her stomping grapes with her bare feet in the country of Italy.
Let me back up just a little and explain. We are told in this passage of scripture “Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows…”
The Greek word for trials is the word “Thilipis” - meaning to squeeze like grapes. In other words, life will sometimes feel like you are being squeezed like grapes until there is no nothing left to squeeze out.
Thus the image of Lucy stomping out the grapes in Italy - squeezing out every bit of juice in order to make wine.
The apostle Paul understood pressure and stress when he wrote…
“We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed. We are perplexed, but not driven to despair. We are hunted down, but never abandoned by God. We get knocked down, but we are not destroyed.” 2 Corinthians 4:8-9 NLT
He dealt with rejection and opposition. He overcame fear and loneliness. He was imprisoned for preaching the gospel. His life was filled with much stress and pressure on a daily basis.
When a chicken is ready to be hatched from it’s egg - the struggle is part of what makes it strong. I’ve heard of people helping the chicken hatch by removing the shell for the baby chick.
It might of made it easier for the baby chicken but it eventually the chicken will die because it didn’t develop the needed muscles to be strong in life.
The only way to make your muscles strong is to exercise and work out. In other words - put some stress and pressure on your body.
Conflict, stress and pressure are God’s way to put spiritual muscle on your lives so that you will be able to live a victorious life.
2 Timothy is a book that was written just before Paul was executed for his faith. In chapter 4 he lists all sorts of stress and pressure that he had to endure.
I like the way he ends the chapter though…
“But the Lord stood with me and gave me strength…” 2 Timothy 4:17 NLT
No matter what you are going through, no matter what stress and pressure you are facing - you can be certain of this: “the Lord will stand with you and give you strength.”
God is standing with you and going through your times of stress and pressure with you. Trust Him that He will not leave or forsake you and that you will arrive safely where God wants you to go.
May you be encouraged with these words today.
No comments:
Post a Comment