“Formed by the Pressure of Love….”
Ever wonder why “you have gone through the things you have gone through?”
“But now, thus saith the Lord that created thee, O Jacob, and He that formed thee, O Israel, Fear not: for I have redeemed thee; I have called thee by thy name; thou art mine.” Isaiah 43:1
Wow! I don’t mind any trial as long as the Lord says, “Sherry, you are mine!”
I look back at the trials that Bobby and I have been through. Why did God make me like I am? He “formed me,” and He “formed you.” He has “applied pressure” while our life was in His hand. Every trial we have been through is part of the “forming in His hands.” Jeremiah said it best when he said, “And the vessel that He (the potter), made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter: so He made it again another vessel…” Jeremiah 18:4
Yes, all those fiery trials, the squeezing, the crying, the tears, the feeling of hopelessness at times… that was nothing more than the “forming” of the great Potter, Jesus Christ.
For us, all those nights of preaching on the street corners, with two small children, our broken down vehicles, struggling to pay our rent, trying to keep our “head above water,” and “hanging on the rope, over the side of a cliff,” or trying to buy food for the children in Haiti when we hardly had enough for ourselves, and believing God when the doctor said to Bobby, “you have about six months to live.” All those times, we were being “formed” for the work we are doing today.
God was making us “tough.” He knew that Haiti was no place for sissies! He knew we would face gunshots at night, burning roadblocks, having our lives threatened, earthquakes, floods, and now, hostile political groups in Haiti. He knew if we couldn’t “fight the lion,” then, we couldn’t “fight the bear…” and if we couldn’t fight the bear, we couldn’t fight Goliath!
Today, your life is still being “formed” and pressured because God has confidence in You! He knows you will win the battle! You have been formed “by the pressure of His love!” Now, thank Him for it and have a great day! Sherry