“I am being poured out as a drink offering. …” This is what Paul said as he was in prison and getting ready to be beheaded. I know that is not a pleasant thought, but think on how many people Paul touched with his prison Epistles. While in Prison, Paul wrote Ephesians, Philippians, Colossian, and Philemon. Ephesians, Philippians, and Colossians in themselves are full of so much Biblical wisdom regarding how to live our lives. Consider how much God did when Paul was in what we would describe as the most horrible time of his life. This is because Paul did not focus on how hard life was, but allowed God to use him in his trials.
While I was playing my guitar this past morning, I remembered what I was taught when I was first learning: The best sound comes when the strings are pressed really hard, and the closer to the frets your fingers are the more clear the cord resounds. This is similar to Paul’s walk and also our own walks with Christ. During our hardest times when we feel that we are being pushed to our limits and so close to giving up, that is when (if we stay in alignment with Christ) we will look the most like Him and make the greatest difference. When we are pressed and remain close to our Savior, our testimony will resound. Anyone can play Church and “believe” when times are good. However, what a person really believes is seen when they walk through adversity and are pushed to the limits. As long as we will stay holding onto God and trusting Him like Paul, keeping our eyes on the prize, our souls will sing a glorious melody when Christ strums us as His instrument to the world.
No matter where you are in life, God often calls us to growing seasons when He presses in deeper. Do not be afraid of these times, nor resist them. My encouragement to you today is that you will embrace them and ask Him what He would like for you to learn. Once we reach the other side of that trial, we will be able to help and teach others. As long as we will endure, we will see a harvest, a reward, and the end intended by the Lord. So the next time you feel pressed to the limits, keep trusting God that He will guide you through, and because of your devotion to Him know you are resounding clearly to the world who you believe Him to be. You are a witness through your struggles.
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