Devotionals for the Heart: When the press is part of God's plan for you

Hardship Produces What You Never Knew Was Inside
A devotional by Heidi Lewis-Ivey

“For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory.”—2 Corinthians 4:17 (KJV)

Long before olive oil found its way onto kitchen shelves and dinner tables, someone had to press the olive. Not gently. Not carefully. The stone wheel rolled over it with full, crushing weight and only then did the oil flow. The most valuable thing inside that small, humble fruit was never going to come out on its own. It required the press.

Now think about your life right now. The weight you’re carrying. The pressure that seems relentless. The season that is lasting far longer than you thought you could endure. What if, just what if the press you are under is not punishment, but process? What if God is not squeezing the life out of you, but drawing something priceless from you?

The Press Has Always Been Part of the Plan

The Garden of Gethsemane—the very place Jesus Christ went the night before His death on the cross—means “oil press” in Hebrew. Jesus, on the most agonizing night of His earthly life, chose to go to a place named for crushing. It was there, under the weight of what was coming, that His surrender produced the salvation of the world.

Nothing about that night felt like victory in that moment. But Heaven knew what the press was producing. Let’s read about it in Isaiah 53:3-5 (KJV). It says, “He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.”

Christ was bruised so that peace could flow. That is the theology of the press. Not that suffering is good, but that in the hands of a sovereign God, nothing is wasted. Not one tear, not one sleepless night, not one moment of pain that you thought would break you.

Suffering Has a Produce

The Apostle Paul was not a man who wrote about suffering from a distance. He was well acquainted with suffering. Paul was shipwrecked, beaten, imprisoned, and abandoned. He knew what it felt like to be pressed from every side. And yet he teaches us that every step is producing something.

Let’s read more about this in Romans 5:3-5 (KJV). It says, “And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; And patience, experience; and experience, hope: And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.”

Tribulation produces Patience then Experience that turns into Hope, which results in God’s Love Shed Abroad. Every step in that chain has weight and purpose. Tribulation is not a dead-end, it is producing patience. Patience does not grow in comfort. Experience is not produced on easy days. And hope the kind that maketh not ashamed is produced in the exact moments when hope seems hardest to hold onto.

What the Press Produces in You

Think about the people whose faith has moved you most. The ones whose testimonies stopped you in your tracks. Chances are, they were not people who had easy lives. They were people who had been pressed and out of that pressing came depth, compassion, resilience, and an anointing that simply could not have come any other way.

God is not interested in producing a shallow version of you. He is after the gold. And gold, scripture reminds us, is tried in fire. Let’s look at 1 Peter 1:7 (NIV) to explore more of that this means. It says, “That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ.”

Your faith is being tried, yes. But it is also being proven. Every time you choose trust over fear, praise over despair, and surrender over control, the press is producing something eternal in you.

You Are Not Being Crushed—You Are Being Prepared

There is a difference between being destroyed and being pressed. The Apostle Paul knew it. He lived it. And he made sure we understood it. Let’s read what he says in 2 Corinthians 4:8-9 (KJV). He wrote, “We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed.”

Troubled on every side but not distressed. There is a boundary on what this season can do to you. The press is real, but it does not have the final word. God does. And what He says about you is that you and I are being prepared for greater fruitfulness, for deeper influence, for a testimony that will set someone else free. Hallelujah!

The olive doesn’t get to choose the press. But it doesn’t have to. Because the one holding it knows exactly how much pressure is needed, and exactly when to stop. The Lord knows the same about you. Let’s read Job 23:10 (KJV) for more knowledge about this. It says, “But he knoweth the way that I take: when he hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold.”

Be Strong and Let the Press Do Its Work

In my devotional published on this blog last month, we talked about what it means to be strong. But strength is not the absence of pressure it is the decision to trust God in the pressure. It is believing that the One who allowed the press is the same One who will catch every drop of what it produces.

You are not being punished. You are not forgotten. You are not too far gone. You are in the press and what is coming out of you is more valuable than you know. Your tears are not wasted. Your endurance is not invisible. Your faith, tried in this fire, is orchestrated by Heaven and will be used in ways you have not yet imagined. Hold on. The oil is coming.

Let’s Pray:

Lord, I don’t always understand the press I’m in, but I trust the hands that are holding me through it. Help me to remember that you waste nothing. That every hard thing is being worked together for good. That I am not being destroyed; I am being prepared. Help me to surrender to the process, to give thanks in the midst of it, and to believe that what you are producing in me is worth every moment of the pressing. In the name of Jesus, I pray. Amen.

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Song of Reflection #1: “Greater is Coming” by Jekalyn Carr. Listen to it here.

Song of Reflection #2: “Refiner” by Maverick City Music. Listen to it here.

Song of Reflection #3: “Blessing in the Storm” by Kirk Franklin. Listen to it here.

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Author Bio:

Heidi Lewis-Ivey is an affirmed prophet and an internationally acclaimed speaker. 

She impacts audiences with her authenticity and bold style of delivery. She has had the opportunity to minister in Trinidad, St. Thomas USVI, Manchester and Liverpool (England).

Heidi is an award-winning and bestselling author. She is the author of Can I Rest Awhile? and Black Girl Cry: What Black Women Need to Know to Amplify Their Voices. She is a co-author in Soulful Prayers (Volume 1 and Volume 2) and Soulful Affirmations. Heidi is the convener of the Encountering the Courts of God movement and the founder of Visions International, a training ground for five-fold ministry gifts.

She holds a Master of Business Administration in Organizational Leadership from Norwich University and a Bachelor of Science in Management from Boston University. Heidi is the CEO of Nael & Associates Inc and franchise owner of Patrice & Associates recruiting firm. She is a member of the Pentimenti Women Writers Group, a former mentor with Year Up, former board member for Friends of Young Achievers, and a Diversity Equity and Inclusion Strategist.

Heidi is the proud aunt/great aunt of 14 nieces and nephews and two bonus nieces. They are her joy. The older nephews have become her protectors.

Heidi is an NFL football fan. As a child, she taught herself the game. In 2017 she won her NFL.com fantasy football league. Heidi is an avid reader (Audible listener) of romance novels, a lover of purses and handbags, and a tea snob who believes bling is always appropriate.

She lives in Boston, MA.

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Connect with Heidi:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iamheidi01
LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/heidi-lewis-ivey

Devotionals for the Heart: Learning to trust God through karate lessons

How Karate Lessons Taught Me to Trust God
A devotional by Chaplain Paul Anderson

“And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.”

—1 Peter 5:10 (ESV)

When we lived in Okinawa, Japan, I enrolled my children in a karate class.

My son asked “Dad, why don’t you do it with us?”

So I did.

It was brutal. I was already fit and working out with the Marines. Calisthenics and running three miles, three days a week was my norm. The karate regimen, on top of that, was grueling.

There was one exercise that seemed over the top. We would kneel, then lean back until our shoulders were on the floor. We were expected to do sit ups from that position. We could not do it when we started. It was hard and painful. I can’t do it now.

We watched as those who had been in this class longer did it with ease. We watched as the Sensei would move around, checking the strength of their abdomen by jumping on their stomachs. Seeing this action shocked us and amazed us at the same time!

But we persevered. For weeks we did it. Finally, the Sensei came around to us and put his foot on our bellies. We were not ready yet. Keep stretching, he would say. After a few months he came to me. He put his foot on my belly. He nodded and walked away, leaving me feeling a little disappointed. I had begun to look forward to the day when he would jump on my stomach and I could hold him up.

Just as I relaxed, in my mind, thinking that he was not going to do it, he leapt backward and landed his entire body weight on my abdomen. I took it! He stood on my stomach and said to me, “You are a chaplain. You teach people to be wary and ready for demonic assaults, but you were not ready for me. Always be ready for an adversary. The worst attacks are those that come by surprise.”

He said, “How do you feel now?”

I replied, “Happy!”

He asked, “You are happy that I am standing on you?”

I said, “No. I am happy that I can take it.”

It was then that I knew why we worked out so hard in these karate lessons. It was because the strength comes after the exercise.

1 Peter 5:10 is like that experience. It is after some inevitable sufferings, that the strength of our character and purpose shines. Don’t be a masochist, seeking suffering. But be a warrior, hardening yourself for the battle. Because it is after the exercise that muscles grow. It is after our spiritual suffering that we are made perfect, mature in faith and practice.

It is after the challenges that we become leaders. It is after effective leadership that people become willing to follow. It is after you have proven to yourself that you can do it, that you do it best. It is after the struggle that praise springs forth.

Here are some steps I gleaned from 1 Peter 5:7-10 that can help you to maximize your spiritual growth plane and leadership.

Step One: Cast your cares on God.

a. Trust in the Lord with all thine heart and lean not to thine own understanding. Acknowledge Him in all thy ways and He shall direct thy paths.

b. Delight thyself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart.

c. Be like Jesus and you will gain testimonies. You will be a living testimony.

Step Two: Sobriety is an imperative.

d. This is not just the absence of intoxicants. It is awareness, watchfulness and preparation. I took a martial arts class some years ago. The Sensei said, “Any man who stands with his hands in his pockets is vulnerable.” Why? Because you can’t defend yourself.

e. Challenges are going to come your way. A mind that is clear and focused on the presence and the will of God in your life, is the best preparation and defense against distractions and attacks of the evil, enemy of God.

f. Some amount of suffering is assumed and expected.

Remember: When God brings you to it, he will see you through it.

Someone told me that the finger of God never points where His hand has not already made a way. Trust, obey and exercise His grace. After that is when we experience His eternal glory!

Let’s Pray: Dear God, as we move from this devotional moment, please give us a sense of readiness and a grateful enthusiasm for the blessings and challenges that we will meet today. Bless each reader with grit and fortitude. When the day is over, may each reflect upon at least one success with which they have been blessed. In Jesus’s Name I pray. Amen.

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Author Bio:

Chaplain Anderson served for 20 years as a U.S. Navy Chaplain. Over 26 years of active duty, he was promoted through the ranks from Seaman Apprentice (E2) to his final rank as Commander (O5) in the Chaplain’s Corps.

Prior to his Naval career, Chaplain Anderson pastored in the Allegheny East and Potomac Conferences of Seventh-day Adventists. His undergraduate preparation for ministry was completed at Washington Adventist University in Takoma Park, Md.

He has subsequently earned four graduate degrees: a Master of Divinity from Andrews University in Michigan, a Master of Education in Counseling and Personnel Services from the University of Maryland in College Park, Maryland and a Masters of Sacred Theology in Religion and Culture from Boston University. His Doctor of Ministry degree was conferred by Wesley Theological Seminary in Washington, D.C.

Chaplain Anderson also completed four units of Clinical Pastoral Education at Walter Reed Army Medical Center. He also holds certifications in Suicide Awareness and Prevention, Civil Mediation, Alternative Workplace Dispute Resolution, Temperament Analysis, Marriage Enrichment, Workforce Diversity, and is a certified Life Coach.

You may connect with Chaplain Anderson via email at this address, psanderson75@gmail.com.