Are you weak? Weary? Confused? Troubled? Pressured? How is your relationship with God? Is it held in its place of priority? I believe the greater the pressure, the greater your need for time alone with Him.
Pressure
Author Unknown
Darlene Cunningham
Before our modern era, pillars of marble often supported the weight of a heavy structure. If a stonecutter was dishonest, he would fill a crack in the marble with wax to make it “look” whole, so that he could sell it for a good price. But if the stonemason was wise, when he came to choose the stones he used for pillars, he would heat the marble with a candle. If there was wax, the crevice would be exposed as the wax melted and ran out. When the stone had no wax and no cracks, he would proclaim “this stone has integrity.” That’s the way we want our lives to be – when the heat is on and the pressure comes, we want to unwaveringly communicate and act with unblemished integrity.
Henri J.M. Nouwen
You have to keep unmasking the world about you for what it is: manipulative, controlling, power-hungry, and, in the long run, destructive. The world tells you many lies about who you are, and you must be realistic enough to remind yourself of this. Whenever you feel hurt, offended, or rejected, you must dare to say to yourself: “These feelings, strong as they may be, are not telling me the truth about myself. The truth, even though I cannot feel it right now, is that I am the chosen child of God, precious in God’s eyes, called the Beloved from all eternity, and held safe in an everlasting embrace.
Alan Redpath
Those of us who are going through trial that seems overwhelming need to realize that, and He can enable us to say, “Lord, if this is for Thy glory, heap on the load! If this is to accomplish something that will make me more usable for Thee, then pile on the burden! If this is something Thy hand seeks to do in order to make me like Thy lovely self, then, Lord, I will take everything because, even though I am crushed under it, I am going to trust Thee for strength every day. My weakness shall glorify Thy power.
James Hudson Taylor
It does not matter how great the pressure is. What really matters is where the pressure lies – whether it comes between you and God, or whether it presses you nearer His heart.
Ken Hutcherson
I’ve always admired tea kettle Christians. They can be up to their necks in hot water and still sing! The world wants to know how this God you talk about makes a difference in your life when you’re sitting on the burner. They want to see the reality of a life within you beyond anything they’ve ever experienced. Peter had it nailed pretty good when he wrote, Be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason for the hope that is in you.