Last week on Tuesday Tea time With the Lord Evangelist Maple and I discussed How to Be Anxious For Nothing! Very powerful and much needed in this time in our world today! I encourage you to go back and catch it! On today, our title is:

“Hard Pressed On Every Side!”

I start off with a story. When I was 18 I was still living and having the comforts of being at my parents home. Although not perfect, I had a car to drive, a job and everything seemed to be ok. But I wanted freedom! I wanted my own apartment and to follow my own rules! I moved out and was on my own. No rules to follow but my life started falling apart. I had gotten into an abusive relationship, thought I loved him and decided to stay. I did everything that I could, prayed that he would change and be the man I needed him to be but there was no demonstration of love for me. People can not demonstrate love if they don’t have it to give.

In Romans 5:6 we read You see, at just the right time, when we were powerless( in our sin and mess) , Christ died for the ungodly. Because what HE did for us makes us justified! Nothing we did or didn’t do. Love is not just a feeling, but a demonstration! Christ demonstrated His love and devotion to us. But, when we are hard pressed on every side what are we demonstrating to Him? In 2 Samuel 22:34 It tells us He gives us feet like deer that can reach great heights and stand firm with confidence!

But when we are hard pressed on every side what truth are we embracing in our thoughts and attitudes? What or who are we holding  that is corrupting the purity of heart God is trying to get us to? As what is in our hearts and minds comes out in our behavior! In John 14:15 He states if you love me you will keep my commands! How are we doing in that department as a church? Yes, God loves us! Being a christian is more than going to church, singing songs and good feelings. Our behaviors and actions demonstrate our level of love for Him. Fornication, drunkenness, gossip, back biting? When hard things happen, what do we cling to?

We know how to speak christian, go to church, play the part but with our hearts desires, how we spend our time, our prayer life and things we hold in our hearts? Are we truly demonstrating our love for Christ? Before we speak a resounding yes let us examine our relationships with family members! Let us examine when that person’s name comes up if we get that ting in our hearts. Have we reached that level when someone hurts us, it doesn’t bother us? When the Lord asks us to minister to them, pray for them or speak into them will we? The enemy is relentless. Are we relentless or are we choosing free will as it’s my time, my life, my decisions? Jesus loves me so He will understand, forgive and be ok with it. God gave up His own son’s life in replacement of ours to make us His family. How would you feel if you demonstrated love to family members and got nothing back in  return but excuses, a slap in the face? Nothing? Yet, that is what we do to our Heavenly Father daily!  

The questions we must ask ourselves….What will we do on the day of adversity? What will we do when hard pressed on every side? What will we do when trial after trial comes? Will we stand with confidence steadfast and immovable? Will we conform to the world? To our flesh? To the pride of life? Have we truly surrendered every area, every circumstance and relationship to Him? As we examine, pray and seek His face let us ask what area needs readjusting. What relationship needs tweaking and what desires need realigning to His. Then when He reveals as He is Faithful and will, will we choose to demonstrate our love for Him and ourselves and listen? When we get to that place in God we will see manifestation, transformation and restoration of all things. But we must be willing!

Heavenly Father as we go in this week and we look at our lives seeking you I pray for clarity, wisdom, revelation and knowledge into our minds and hearts. As you reveal, help us to show our demonstration of love by following your commands as when we do? That is when we are hard pressed on every side we will be able to stand firm confident in You in Jesus mighty name

Evangelist Maple, what do you think it will take for us to move past our words of declaration to applying it to our day to day lives in actions and behavior so we can truly become the beacon of light, love and hope He is calling us to be?