The pressures in life are not meant to put us down and make us STAY DOWN, but they are there to develop and cause us to ARISE and succeed in life.  They are like trampolines.  As we jump in, it causes us to bounce back like a springboard that allows us to do beyond what an ordinary jump can do.  It has potential energy designed with elasticity to make us bounce higher giving us the experience of variable body positions in flight.  Challenges take us to an adventure to discover the seed of greatness that God has deposited in us and eventually unravel who God created us to be.

A diamond is a treasure that goes through a long process before it becomes a “glorified dirt”.

A pearl is formed when a grain of sand or debris gets stuck in oysters.  Oysters ease the pain and irritation by coating it with multiple layers of nacre, the mineral that lines the inside of their shells.  A commentary stated that they are basically like blisters to the oysters, only much prettier.  They are then “glorified” blisters.

How about silver and gold?  They are purified by fire.  (Proverbs 17:3 TLB)

Shakings are also there to see the how sturdy our foundation is.  They are there to shake off what doesn’t bring pleasure to God in our lives so He can replace it with what’s most pleasing to Him.  And the beauty of it lies in the truth that it is “[not in our own strength] for it is God Who is all the while effectually at work in us [energizing and creating in us the power and desire], both to will and to work for His good pleasure and satisfaction and delight.” (Philippians 2:13 AMPC) 

Our testings are not meant to condemn us. Instead they are designed to be a part of life that if responded right they level us up and shape these tests to become own powerful testimonies.  They are our personal breakthroughs that become pillars of our faith making us stronger every step of the way.  It is to set right in whom are we rooted and grounded.

Trials are also meant to make us dig deeper into knowing Who our SURE FOUNDATION is. Who is Jesus Christ personally to us?  He is Lord!  He is Savior!  He is King!  He is Hope!  He is Life!  He is Strength! He is Joy!  He is Peace!  He is our Light and our Salvation!  He is our Good Shepherd!  He is our Lord of Righteousness Who is committed to making things right in our lives as we confidently cling to, rely on, lean on and trust in.

“I’ve told you all this so that TRUSING ME, you will be UNSHAKABLE and ASSURED, DEEPLY AT PEACE. In this godless world you will continue to experience difficulties. But take heart! I’ve conquered the world.” John 16:33 MSG

While we are on the road WITH HIM and IN HIM, we may not see where He is taking us but our confidence is founded in the His Word revealed to us by the presence and power of the Holy Spirit.  It is in our experiential knowledge that He is good and that His plans for us are good to give us a hope and a beautiful future.  He has gone before us, made a way where there seems to be no way for us, made roads in the wilderness for us, made streams in the desert for us, straightened and smoothed the path for us, made the mountains low for us, raised the valleys high for us, prepared a feast for us, and made sure that blessings hunt us down as we focus and follow where He leads us.  His grace is all sufficient and His strength is made perfect for us.  All we need to do is believe in Him and trust in Him.

We only trust those whom we know and as we journey in knowing Jesus Christ and how He lavished us with His love, trust can never be put aside.  The deeper knowledge we have of Him, the more yielded we become.

“Trust God from the bottom of your heart;
    don’t try to figure out everything on your own.
Listen for God’s voice in everything you do, everywhere you go;
    He’s the one who will keep you on track.
Don’t assume that you know it all.
    Run to God! Run from evil!”  Proverbs 3:5-6 MSG

Victory in every circumstance isn’t found in how well we fight with our own might!  It is found in how surrendered we are to what Jesus Christ has already won for us.  The good fight of faith lies in fighting FROM the victory that was established in Calvary.  As we take it from there, He already positioned us to always be on the winning side.  It is always a win-win situation in Him.   God ALWAYS causes us to triumph in Christ … not by might nor by power, but by the Spirit of God!

As we grow in intimacy with Jesus, with our hearts fully captured by Who He is, then He becomes our greatest treasure. No thing and no one else is worthy to sit on that throne in our hearts.

For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Matthew 6:21 NKJV

Photo Credits:  Alyssa Rose Santos Alcantara