Pressure

Pressure
Streams in the Desert

I was crushed...so much so that I despaired even of life, but that was to make me rely not on myself, but on the God who raises the dead" (2 Cor. 1:8, 9).

"Pressed out of measure and pressed to all length;
Pressed so intensely it seems, beyond strength;
Pressed in the body and pressed in the soul,
Pressed in the mind till the dark surges roll.
Pressure by foes, and a pressure from friends.
Pressure on pressure, till life nearly ends.

"Pressed into knowing no helper but God;
Pressed into loving the staff and the rod.
Pressed into liberty where nothing clings;
Pressed into faith for impossible things.
Pressed into living a life in the Lord,
Pressed into living a Christ-life outpoured."

The pressure of hard places makes us value life. Every time our life is given back to us from such a trial, it is like a new beginning, and we learn better how much it is worth, and make more of it for God and man. The pressure helps us to understand the trials of others, and fits us to help and sympathize with them.

There is a shallow, superficial nature, that gets hold of a theory or a promise lightly, and talks very glibly about the distrust of those who shrink from every trial; but the man or woman who has suffered much never does this, but is very tender and gentle, and knows what suffering really means. This is what Paul meant when he said, "Death worketh in you."

Trials and hard places are needed to press us forward, even as the furnace fires in the hold of that mighty ship give force that moves the piston, drives the engine, and propels that great vessel across the sea in the face of the winds and waves.

Impossible Love Made Possible.....Dr. Charles Stanley

Impossible Love Made Possible

Dr. Charles Stanley

Galatians 5:22-23

When a lawyer asked Jesus which commandment was the greatest, He said, “You shall love the Lord your God with all you heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind,” and “the second is like it, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself’” (Matt. 22:37, 39). What an overwhelming assignment!

In our own strength, none of us can live up to this obligation, but the Lord has provided a way for Christians to do the impossible. The indwelling Holy Spirit works to produce His fruit in us, and first on the list is love (Gal. 5:22). In fact, the other eight qualities are really just descriptions of its expression.

Whenever we demonstrate kindness, patience, or gentleness, we see the Lord’s love at work through us, especially when the other person has been unkind and doesn’t deserve such pleasant treatment. This fruit is not produced by trying harder to muster good will toward someone who is irritating or hard to get along with. Instead, think of the process more like sap running through a branch on a grape-vine. The branch doesn’t make grapes; the sap does. In the same way, the Spirit flows through us, producing God’s love in us, so that we can pass it on to Him and others.

Agape love is the reason we are able to care for someone who mistreats us—it’s God’s doing, not ours. Even the adoration we offer the Lord is not something that we can produce in our own heart apart from His assistance. Though the command to love is enormous,God’s grace makes it possible.

The Pause We All Need

The Pause We All Need
CORRIE GERBATZ

“The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they reveal knowledge.” Psalm 19:1-2 (NIV)

It was another morning run on a familiar neighborhood loop. My plodding steps chipped away at the miles ahead as my jumbled mind attempted to sort and re-sort my growing list of to-do’s. It was going to be a busy day.

If I don’t go to the grocery store today, then I probably can’t make it again until the weekend. Speaking of groceries, what am I going to make for dinner, and are we going to shovel it in our faces before or after baseball practice? I have Bible study homework to finish. The kids have schoolwork still waiting, and forget about the chores at home. I need to check in with my parents, and I need to schedule a sitter ASAP for later in the week.

I was already feeling behind in my day when I noticed my untied shoelaces. I needed to stop. Ugh! Breathlessly annoyed and sweaty, I dropped to my knees to tend to my laces. I double knotted those suckers for good measure and was about to take one last resting gulp of air when my eyes finally took notice of the landscape before me.

The sun’s first rays illuminated the mountain peaks and set the slopes afire with colors beyond the expertise of any painter’s palette. Hills below boasted of summer’s first greens, and on the air was the aroma of promised blooms to come. I was completely mesmerized and marveled in the moment for one breath more as the praises in Psalm 19 leapt to the forefront of my mind:

“The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they reveal knowledge” (Psalm 19:1-2).

Not only was creation ever praising the glory of God, but day and night, creation was on display reminding me to look up and do the same. But was I doing the same? The honest answer was I didn’t know, and the truth of the words struck my heart with conviction.

When was the last time I paused to notice creation, let alone praise the One who created it all?

For weeks, my efforts had been consumed by activities and schedules within my calendar. There was no looking up. There was no pausing or praising. And my perspective over it all had become a bit nearsighted.

On my way back home, I continued to ponder my perspective, the act of praise and the importance of pausing. I went back to the Psalms to dig deeper, and there in the chapters I found David, the shepherd boy chosen to become king. Now David was a man who truly experienced the highs and lows of life. He knew seasons of great busyness, blessing and victory, and he also knew seasons of despair, grief and guilt. Yet through it all, David’s heart was sustained by a right perspective in the Lord.

How did he do it? Well, I believe it’s because David knew how to pause and praise well. Time and time again, David paused to take notice of the Lord’s creation, and he praised the mighty work of the Lord’s hands. This practice not only reminded David of his humble place within creation, but also God’s authorship and authority over creation, his life and his circumstances.

Perspective matters.

The same Lord is over our lives and our circumstances. He’s over my season of busyness. He’s over your seasons of blessing, ongoing struggle, heartbreaking sorrow, financial strain, exciting unknowns or even the monotony of the mundane. He’s over it all, and it is He, the Creator of heaven and earth, who holds us today. This, my friends, is a truth worth pausing to remember. This is a truth worthy of our praise. And this is a truth worth looking up for.

Dear Lord, You are our Lord, sovereign over all. I desire to praise You as creation does. Forgive me for the times I have become nearsighted in my own endeavors, and remind my heart to look upon You first today. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

TRUTH FOR TODAY:
Psalm 24:1, “The earth is the LORD’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it.” (NIV)

Psalm 145:5-6, “They speak of the glorious splendor of your majesty — and I will meditate on your wonderful works. They tell of the power of your awesome works — and I will proclaim your great deeds.” (NIV)

3 Habits of Happy People

3 Habits of Happy People
by Debbie Holloway

Today I stumbled across a list someone had pulled together and put online, entitled “22 Habits of Happy People.” Inspired, I decided to write a few down on post-it notes and stick them up around my (already post-it laden) cubicle. Then I got to thinking about Scriptural wisdom to back up the catchy phrases. Here’s what I found for the first few.

1. Let go of grudges

This piece of wisdom is undoubtedly biblical. In fact, the ideas of forgiveness and leaving vengeance up to God can be found in many places throughout the Old and New testaments. Levitical Law states,

“You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against the sons of your own people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the Lord” (Lev. 19:18).

Jesus also speaks of the necessity of forgiving each other and letting go of grudges – especially if we desire for God to dismiss our own sins.

“And whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father also who is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses” (Matt. 11:35).

2. Treat everyone with kindness

This is a beautiful, simple phrase that cuts to the heart of the golden rule. Jesus cautions,

“So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you” (Matt. 7:12).

God, through commands to his early followers and through his revelation in Christ, clearly values acts and attitudes of kindness and compassion. Believers are consistently exhorted to give, respect, honor, and show humility toward those around us. Perhaps the best model for kindness would, of course, be God himself. Instead of allowing humanity to perish in sin, God pursued us throughout centuries, sent his Son to walk among us, and offers salvation and reconciliation to all freely.

by Debbie Holloway

Today I stumbled across a list someone had pulled together and put online, entitled “22 Habits of Happy People.” Inspired, I decided to write a few down on post-it notes and stick them up around my (already post-it laden) cubicle. Then I got to thinking about Scriptural wisdom to back up the catchy phrases. Here’s what I found for the first few.

1. Let go of grudges

This piece of wisdom is undoubtedly biblical. In fact, the ideas of forgiveness and leaving vengeance up to God can be found in many places throughout the Old and New testaments. Levitical Law states,

“You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against the sons of your own people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the Lord” (Lev. 19:18).

Jesus also speaks of the necessity of forgiving each other and letting go of grudges – especially if we desire for God to dismiss our own sins.

“And whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father also who is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses” (Matt. 11:35).

2. Treat everyone with kindness

This is a beautiful, simple phrase that cuts to the heart of the golden rule. Jesus cautions,

“So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you” (Matt. 7:12).

God, through commands to his early followers and through his revelation in Christ, clearly values acts and attitudes of kindness and compassion. Believers are consistently exhorted to give, respect, honor, and show humility toward those around us. Perhaps the best model for kindness would, of course, be God himself. Instead of allowing humanity to perish in sin, God pursued us throughout centuries, sent his Son to walk among us, and offers salvation and reconciliation to all freely.

3. Regard Your Problems as Challenges

According to Paul,

“No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it” (1 Cor. 10:13).

Truthfully, life is full of problems. And not all problems can be solved. But I like the idea of regarding problems as challenges, because it’s a wonderful reminder that we have been given the power to do something. God didn’t make us fearful or incapable. He gave us a spirit of power and of sound mind (2 Tim. 1:7). If we looked at our problems more like challenges, perhaps we would be more hopeful about the future.

Intersecting Faith and Life: Have you been holding grudges? Have you been less than kind to others? Have you let yourself become overwhelmed by your daily problems? Consider developing some “habits of happy people!”

A Prayer for When You Want to Be Loved

A Prayer for When You Want to Be Loved
By John Ortberg

“Dear friends, since God loved us that much, we surely ought to love each other.” 1 John 4:11 (NLT)

Everyone wants to be loved, to be liked, to be celebrated, to have someone who accepts us no matter what. We want to have people to turn to when a crisis hits. We want to have someone in whom we can safely confide our secrets. And there’s a reason for that.

We were made for connection.

We were made for intimacy.

When we experience intimacy, we can take on whatever life throws at us. Without it, even our greatest accomplishments ring hollow. After all, where’s the joy in success if we don’t have someone we love with whom to share it? That’s why I believe the pursuit of intimacy is the greatest, most worthwhile pursuit there is.

Granted, for most of us, pursuing intimacy is not as simple as adding more fiber to our diets. We have to work at it. But it’s worth it because deep down, we know being close to another human being matters like nothing else in the world. And being close to God? That takes things to a whole new level.

Maybe having an “intimate relationship with God” feels like one more obligation in an already-overwhelmed life. After all, intimacy is tricky enough to pull off with a real, live, flesh-and-blood person. How can we hope to have an intimate relationship with someone we can’t even see?

It’s not as hard as you might think — especially when you stop to consider what intimacy really is.

Intimacy isn’t built on grand, elaborate gestures. Rather, it’s made up of a thousand tiny, everyday moments of interaction. Every time we share an experience with someone, we build intimacy.

It’s asking your kids how their day went when they get home. It’s asking — and caring about — what your spouse wore to an event. It’s noticing a downcast face and offering a word of encouragement. It’s a private wink to a stressed-out colleague in a fractious meeting that says, “We’ve got this.”

A single note of music is an insignificant thing. But if you put enough of them together in the right way, you get Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony. Likewise, a single encounter may not amount to much, but if we share enough experiences with someone … that’s how we build intimacy.

And it’s what God’s Word urges us to do, as seen in today’s key verse: “Dear friends, since God loved us that much, we surely ought to love each other” (1 John 4:11).

Because God is always present, intimacy with Him is possible every moment of our lives. He’s already here. We just have to show up and spend time with Him.

When you need help, tell Him. When you are joyful, recognize His goodness behind the joy, and take time to praise Him. When you see beauty, recognize the hand of the Artist and thank Him.

Give it a try. You may just find that an ordinary day — such as today — can become the most intimate day with God you have ever spent.

But wait — there’s more.

If intimacy is a shared experience, then perhaps the ultimate example of an invitation to intimacy is the Incarnation — that mystical, miraculous moment when God chose to become more like us.

He could have loved us from a distance. But God wanted to do more than just love us. He wanted to be intimate with us. Through Jesus, God shared our loneliness, fatigue, anxiety and sorrow. He shared in our joy and our pain. He provided comfort in our despair at feeling forsaken.

The Incarnation tells us that the story of our world is the story of God’s hunger for intimacy. His pain over the loss of intimacy in the Fall, His determination to recapture it and His fierce joy at its redemption.

If that’s the case, then maybe we’re already closer to God than we think we are.

Maybe intimacy with God isn’t just something we can do, but something we can also receive.

And maybe, just maybe, we can rest in that for a while.

Lord, thank You that we were made for connection and intimacy with others and with You. We pray You help us grow closer to those who matter most in our lives. Thank You for loving us so deeply. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.