The testing of your faith produces perseverance. (James 1:3)
One of the most important character traits for the people of God is perseverance under pressure, because pressure produces, and in that production, pressure returns blessings multiplied. Read on, and be greatly encouraged today!
The Bible is filled with examples of those who persevered under pressure. Joseph was sold into slavery by his resentful brothers. He certainly persevered under pressure; years later, he rose to the position of second-in-command in Egypt. Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego persevered under pressure, accepting the flames of the fiery furnace rather than bowing down to the giant statue King Nebuchadnezzar ordered to be made of gold. Like Joseph, these three faith-filled young men were promoted to positions of prominence by the pagan king. Esther persevered under pressure when she chose to approach the king uninvited, which could have resulted in the penalty of death; her faith and courage saved the people of Israel. Stephen persevered under pressure, preaching the truths of the Gospel to the religious leaders, literally with his very last breath, even as the religious leaders were stoning him to death. The Lord Jesus stood to receive him.
Of course, there is no greater example of persevering under pressure than the one we see in our Lord Jesus Christ. From his infancy, Jesus was pressured on every side. King Herod sought to kill the newborn King and sentenced all the male children in Bethlehem aged two and under to death. An angel warned Joseph, and he took Mary and the baby Jesus down into Egypt. Throughout His entire ministry, Jesus was plagued and pressured by the religious leaders, who plotted to kill Him time and time again. And in His hour of greatest need in the Garden of Gethsemane, where Jesus was sweating drops of blood as He prayed about what would happen the following day, His pressure produced perhaps the greatest word of inspired instruction in the history of the world: “Father, if you are willing; take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done” (Luke 22:42).
God’s grace is most magnified when we are navigating in the storms of life. It all comes down to trusting God even when we cannot trace His hand. The positive production of pressure cannot be overstated. It is God’s ordained way of conforming us to the image and likeness of Jesus. Our lives are hammered out on the anvil of pressure. Remember, when you squeeze a grapefruit, you get grapefruit juice. Squeeze an orange, and you get orange juice. The question is, What do those around you get when you are squeezed by the pressures of life?
The pressures you face in life are the passageway that produces a deeper intimacy with the One who died to make you His.
This is the Gospel. This is grace for your race. NEVER FORGET THAT . . . AMEN!
Grace for the Race 