2 Corinthians 4:8-9
We are hard pressed on all sides, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed.
*Strong's Ex. Conc. No. 2346
Hard Pressed: afflicted, compressed, rub together
From the Greek word 'thlibó' (pronounced thlee'-bo): distressed, oppressively afflicted, made to feel confined (hemmed in) {between a rock and a hard place}.
WE DO NOT LOSE HEART
Isaiah 40:31
But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.
Luke 18:1-7 tells us the parable of the persistent widow who kept pestering a judge to act on her behalf, which he finally did. It is a strong reminder of our need to pray to our God, our Father in heaven, who hears our prayers and acts on our behalf, as well. We do not stop praying: we do not stop interceding for others, nor do we stop praying for ourselves. Like the song goes, It's Me, It's Me, O Lord, standin' in the need of prayer.
PLANTING FOR A HARVEST
Galatians 6:9
Let us not grow weary in well-doing, for in due time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.
1 Corinthians 15:58
Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.
That harvest the believer reaps is their reward for all their hard work in the kingdom of God. The harvest of souls saved, delivered, filled and working side by side with all of us: the here and now believer, the righteous believers in the Old Testament and in the early church in the New Testament Scriptures, the believer who is believing even now while we are in this moment, and the believers who will believe.
That harvest is the building up of the saints of God, His holy people, His church. I am in the harvest. Someone prayed for me. I should've died when I was living in sin. Had I died then, my soul would have gone to hell. I am so thankful that someone loved me enough to pray me into the kingdom of God.
Never give up. Never stop praying. Never stop interceding. Hold your ground and don't back down. Regardless of who comes against us, even the ones we are praying for, we will remain rooted and grounded in the Word and hold onto the promise of God that our households would be saved as long as we believe.
Some Christians here in America are being persecuted, but not all; not yet, anyway. Some Christians here are mocked for their faith. Some are physically attacked, but all of us are under a spiritual attack.
It is that attack that we come against. We fight/pray for our families: we want them with us in heaven. We pray for our friends: heaven wouldn't be the same without oru friends there rejoicing with us. We pray for the strangers, the foreigners in our land, that they, too, would know the salvation of the Lord and shout for joy.
We pray for our enemies: we pray the blessings of God upon all of them. We do not seek their demise, nor do we pray against them: we pray for their deliverance, that their hearts would turn to God and that God would turn their lives upside down.
We pray for the persecuted saints all over the world. As it was in the early days of the growth of the young church, so it is even now. They who come against the saints of God are the enemies we are praying for. For it is not people we war against with our prayers; it is darkness in high places, invisible to the naked eye but seen by the eyes of God (Ephesians 6:12).
We pray for our missionaries, the people we have sent to other countries around the world to share the gospel of salvation. We pray that their needs would be met and their desires accomplished in their ministries.
HARDPRESSED
You ever make your own juice in a juicer? The machine squeezes the best parts of the fruits and vegetables into a pitcher at one end, while, at the same time, removing the seeds and pulp at the other end. Without the squeezing there would be no wonderful juice to drink.
It is the same for us. The mature believer knows that it is in the crushing, in the pressing, that we are made new again and again. The hard times, the difficult days, bring us closer to God. We are His New Wine and we are poured out before Him.
We accept it for we have surrendered our to His will. We have submitted to His calling for us, preferring to be the clay that gets molded and not the clay that gets tossed out into the rubbish heap. He Didn't Throw The Clay Away. We are His vessels of honor, His new wine, His moldings and fashionings. From glory to glory we advance against the kingdom of darkness, pressing on to reach the kingdom of glory where our King reigns on high.
THE LORD IS WITH YOU
Psalm 37:24
Though he falls, he will not be overwhelmed, for the LORD is holding his hand.
1 John 4:4
You, little children, are from God and have overcome them, Greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world.
Isaiah 41:10
Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.’
