Pressure
Ever been under pressure?
Sometimes life feels like a pressure cooker!
Pressure at home, on the job, in our head- feels like the corks about to pop. All of us have been there done that.
God uses pressure to refine us. The Greek word translated “to suffer” in this text pictures “pressure.” We find in this verse that suffering- or pressure- is used by God to produce endurance in us. This endurance in turn produces proven character and proven character produces hope.
We profess to believe in the sovereignty of God, but many times when we face “pressures” we chuck our faith for a kind of Providence and in turn attribute our struggles to bad karma or even fate. Do you really believe that God is so directing the affairs of your life that every circumstance has been individually tailored to produce in you enduring character that looks forward in Hope to the Glory of God? It’s hard to look at a flat tire during a down pour through that lens. It’s hard to see the death of a loved one through those eyes. It’s hard to see both inconvenience and tragedy through the eyes of faith. But this is exactly what the Holy Spirit is doing. And through it all the Scripture tells us God is pouring His love into us by His Holy Spirit who is a gift to us.
God hasn’t given us a Spirit of Bondage again to fear- He has given us a Spirit that cries out Abba Father, a Spirit of courage, love and a sound mind. A Spirit that transcends every human pressure and rests in peace- the peace of God.
So, don’t lose hope- hope is exactly what God is forming in you. Hope in the glory of God.
“Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings…”
Romans 5:3
Because of grace,
Tim
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