PRESSURES IN LIFE

Are you having battles and pressures in your life?  Are you feeling defeated?  We all go through difficult times.  We can react to those times in different ways.  We can run away from our problems, or we can stand up and face them. 

When we decide to stand up and face our problems, it can change our lives.  Standing up and facing the difficult things in life can be very tough.  There is a wrong way to handle bad situations, so we need to be sure and spend time in prayer before trying to stand against our problems.  If we are not careful we will make things worse, instead of making them better.

As I was thinking about problems and pressures in life I was reminded, at an early age, I learned about how a pearl was created.  I believe that Lord has given us examples in nature for us to ponder and learn from.  These things do not just happen for no reason.  The Lord desires that we study his word and his creation.  He desires for us to live a happier, healthier life.

The pearl is a beautiful creation.  A pearl is created inside of a shell in the depths of the ocean.  The shell has many parasites and other things that try to attack it.  The sand itself enters into the shell and acts almost like sand paper.  This very process is what causes the magnificent pearl to form.  If the shell clamped shut and never experienced any of these irritants, a pearl would never form. 

What actually takes place during the process of the pearl is amazing.  An irritant enters into the mollusk and settles.  The mollusk becomes irritated, starts to produce a sac of external mantle tissue cells, and it secrets calcium carbonate and conchiolin to cover the irritant.  If this mollusk produced anything except for the calcium carbonate and conchiolin, a pearl would not be formed. 

We need to find out exactly what we need to produce during these times that will cause something beautiful to be formed in our lives.  Needless to say, Satan also has produced his own products.  He would much rather you pick up bitterness or revenge in place of what the Lord has offered.  The Lord has made available to us the very thing we are needing. 

James 1:5

 

If any of you lack wisdom,

let hin ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally,

and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.

The scripture says that wisdom is more valuable than rubies.  There is only one way to get wisdom and that is to ask of God.  We are going to need the wisdom of the Lord to help us handle these trials in our life and come out a beautiful creation. 

Proverbs 119: 133-144

 

Order my steps in thy word:

and let not any iniquity have dominion over me.
Deliver me from the oppression of man:

so will I keep thy precepts.
Make thy face to shine upon thy servant;

and teach me thy statutes.
Rivers of waters run down mine eyes,

because they keep not thy law.
Righteous art thou, O LORD,

and upright are thy judgments.
Thy testimonies that thou hast commanded

are righteous and very faithful.
My zeal hath consumed me,

because mine enemies have forgotten thy words.
Thy word is very pure:

therefore thy servant loveth it.
I am small and despised:

yet do not I forget thy precepts.
Thy righteousness is an everlasting righteousness,

and thy law is the truth.
Trouble and anguish have taken hold on me:

yet thy commandments are my delights.
The righteousness of thy testimonies is everlasting:

give me understanding, and I shall live.