Pressure Cookers Go Ka-Boom--Part 2

Why do you suppose our view of God is so deficient?

• Our hearts are not pure. They become so cluttered with sin and worldliness that we don't see God. "Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God." --Matthew 5:8

• "So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." --Romans 10:17 This is more than attending church faithfully but studying in God's Word daily.

A believer with a renewed mind accepts God's purposes for pressure.

• "For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal." --2 Corinthians 4:16-18 [We often lose sight of eternal values by focusing on our surrounding circumstances.]

• "Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds." --Hebrews 12:1-3 ["great cloud of witnesses"--People are watching our example in how we deal with difficult situations. So as Christians, we must look to Christ for our example. He endured much more when He was on earth then we ever will. ]

• "My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience." James 1:2-3 [Everything has a greater purpose.]

• "Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations: 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:" --1 Peter 1:6-7 [People highly esteem gold--it is often coveted in the gain of much wealth. But from God's perspective gold is pavement for His roads and to Him we are valued far greater. The trials of our faith are for the purpose of cleaning out imperfections so that we might being honor and glory to God.]

A mature believer understands God's love, grace and sustaining power. He knows how to pray. He sees life from God's perspective. This perspective adds an extra quality of endurance in life that sustains any load God places upon it.

[I decided to look up the meaning for sustain --To keep in existence; maintain. To supply with necessities or nourishment; provide for. To support from below; keep from falling or sinking. To support the spirits, vitality, or resolution of; encourage. --Since we don't see God as always being with us, we often take the lead as a "pilot" in our life. Or we might think God is the "pilot" and we are the "co-pilot." But because God is God. He is always good. He is there to supply our needs through love and grace. God will sustain us. We don't have to "pilot or co-pilot" through our trials. If we trust God to be the "sole pilot" in our life and its trials, we won't be exploding from the pressures of them.]