TEVET 18
Pressure
“And not only this, but we also exult in
pressures …” (Rom 5:3)
One of Noah
Webster’s definitions for the word ‘pressure’ is “That which afflicts
the body or depresses the spirits; any severe affliction, distress, calamity or
grievance; straits, difficulties, embarrassments, or the distress they
occasion. We speak of the pressure of poverty or want, the pressure of debts,
the pressure of taxes, the pressure of afflictions or sorrow. We observe that pressure is used both for trouble or calamity, and for
the distress it produces.”[1] In other words, pressure can be the distress
and tribulation that will present itself in virtually any and every area of our
lives, events and circumstances that occur which knock us off our feet.
And we are
supposed to rejoice and be glad while we are lying flat on our backs? Difficult as it may seem, this is exactly what we are to do. When we make the deliberate decision and choice
to be thankful, even in this dark situation, we take our eyes off our problems, and place them onto our ‘problem solver’, the Creator
of this vast universe. Instead of
throwing a temper tantrum, where we kick and beat against the floor, we are
re-affirming to whom we belong, and revealing our continuing trust in the One
who formed us.
No, it is not
always easy. For those of you who suffer
with physical ailments, those of you who are still waiting for your healing to
manifest and be complete, I empathize with you.
On those days when my hands are hurting, to the extent that it is difficult
for me to even use the keyboard on my PC, I choose
to give Him praise, and to recognize His sovereignty over my life.
Many of you are
not sure where this month’s rent is coming from – let alone last month’s, which
has yet to be paid – I have been where you are.
Through it all, I made the decision to trust Him, the One who owns the cattle on a thousand hills, and the One
who would never leave me stranded.
And those of
you who are struggling with family issues, I know that problem well. And I know, firsthand, that when all those
relatives who profess to love and care about you have abandoned you, there is the One who died for you, and welcomes
you with outstretched arms.
Yes, I choose
to rejoice and triumph in all my problems and troubles. I understand that I would not be in the
situation that I find myself in if the Father had not first allowed it to
happen, and I trust, implicitly, that this too shall pass. And I also choose to believe “that all matters work together for good to those who love
Elohim, to those who are called according to His purpose.” (Rom 8:28)
“Blessed is the
man who does endure trial, for when he has been proved, he shall receive the crown
of life which the Master has promised to those who love Him.” (Jam 1:12)
©2021
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