To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven. – Ecclesiastes 3:1
The Lord told us through Solomon that there is a season for everything. I don’t know if it’s just my season or a season for God’s people in general, but one of the prevailing themes in this season of my life is CRUSHING and PRESSING.
One of my favorite worship teams is Hillsong. One of my favorite worship leaders is Brooke Ligertwood. She and they released a song in this season titled, New Wine. The lyrics follow.
In the crushing, in the pressing; You are making, new wine.
In the soil, I now surrender. You are breaking new ground.
So I yield to You, and to Your careful hand.
When I trust You, I don't need to understand
Make me Your vessel. Make me an offering.
Make me whatever You want me to be
I came here with nothing. But all You have given me.
Jesus, bring new wine out of me.
'Cause where there is new wine. There is new power.
During this same season, one of my favorite pastors, TD Jakes, released a new book titled, Crushing. I don’t know if Brooke Ligertwood and TD Jakes know each other, or if they coordinated their works – I suspect not. My suspicion is that God has a Word for His people in season. That Word is “CRUSHING and PRESSING.”
One of the key takeaways from the Crushing book is the lesson that when Jesus exhorted us to take up our cross daily (Luke 9:23), The Cross He was referring to was a symbol of trauma, scandal, criminality, shame, and intense suffering; not a symbol of worship or glory. Just as He did, we are to carry the cross for God's glory, and the salvation of others. We are to use the Cross like He did, to bring others to eternal salvation, and an intimate journey with their Father in Heaven. We are to put the trauma we have suffered to work for Him and with Him!
In dealing with trauma and intense suffering in a Christ-like way, we take on the sins of others for His glory. It will be and is a heavy, heavy weight. However, like with Simon of Cyrene, He will be carrying that cross with us and doing the heavy lifting.
Another message running though the Crushing book and song is the power of new wine. The lesson is that wine only becomes wine through crushing, pressing, and fermentation. It is the same with us; for us to be new wine in His Hands, for the pouring in to the lives of others, there is some crushing, pressing and fermentation that we all have to endure.
There have been seasons in my life, when there was a God weight so heavy on me that I felt like I was being crushed under it; like something was being pressed out of me. This season of crushing and pressing in my own life is bleeding out this message, and transforming the fruit and essence of my life.
The Lord recently gave me an encouraging phrase concerning this means of metamorphosis in our lives.
"Transformation into the likeness of Christ, is the stage best set for the glory of God to shine. Godly transformation is often best directed in plays of tragedy and redemption, directed and produced by the Hand of God."
PRAYER
Abba Father. You are the Potter and I am the clay. Mold me and make me your vessel I pray. Teach me to praise You in the traumas and the triumphs of my life. Amen in The Name of Jesus.
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