When the Pressure Gets Too Great

By Andrea Merrell

 Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden,

and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you 

and learn from Me,

for I am gentle and lowly in heart, 

and you will find rest for your souls. 

For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.

Matthew 11:28-30 NKJV

I felt like I was going down for the third time, overwhelmed by circumstances far beyond my control. If one more thing was thrown at me, I would surely go under.

Do you ever feel as if you’ll never hold up under the burdens you carry? We face pressure is so many ways. It might be excruciating pain in our body, a lack of finances, or a failed relationship. We agonize over prodigal children, work-related issues, and addictive behavior. The Bible calls these the “cares of this life.”

Spiritual battles are tough. The Enemy cranks up the pressure, hoping to wipe us out. What he fails to realize is that God uses the pressure to develop us, not destroy us

The truth about pressure is it’s not always a bad thing. Great wine comes from crushing the carefully tended grapes. And diamonds are formed by that same crushing force. Even a pressure cooker produces a variety of delicious foods.

When the apostle Paul couldn't take it anymore, he cried out to God for help. God's answer? "My grace is enough; it's all you need. My strength comes into its own in your weakness" (2 Corinthians 12:9 TM).

Paul's response? "It was a case of Christ's strength moving in on my weakness. Now I take my limitations in stride and with good cheer, these limitations that cut me down to size: abuse, accidents, opposition, bad breaks. I just let Christ take over. And so the weaker I get, the stronger I become" (v.v. 9-10 TM).

Sometimes, the pressure we experience will transform our thinking, help us see people and situations in a new light, or move us from one place to another. The key is in not facing it alone. Jesus tells us to come to Him when we’re weary so we can find rest. The Message says He will teach us the “unforced rhythms of grace.”

The Lord came to my rescue, and He'll do the same for you. If you're in a spiritual battle, cry out to Him and allow His grace to pull you through. He'll give you everything you need ... peace, strength, comfort, wisdom, and direction. When the pressure gets too great, let Jesus take over. Your faith will grow, and you'll come out victorious.

Are you weary? Reach out to Jesus. He’s waiting for you.

(Photo courtesy of FreeDigitalPhotos.net and digitalart.)

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Are you weary? Reach out to Jesus. He’s waiting for you. via @AndreaMerrell (Click to tweet.)

Find rest in Jesus by learning the "unforced rhythms of grace." via @AndreaMerrell (Click to tweet.)

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