Pressure – Steve Martin, Love For His People ministry
June 8, 2021 Charlotte, North Carolina USA
“My flesh and my heart may fail, But God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. Psalm 73:26, NASB
Pressure is often associated with stress – the daily job, raising the kids, working hard to pay the monthly mortgage, rent, utilities, or the loans borrowed long ago and with added interest that never seem to get paid off.
Some are experiencing the pressure in selling or buying a home, with all that goes into packing up and moving to another state or across town. Others are wondering if they will get a decent job now that graduation is completed, and the right position comes quickly.
I was listening to one of my favorite Bible teachers and motivational speakers this morning, Lance Wallnau from the Dallas, Texas area. After first hearing him give a thoughtful and humorous message over a decade ago in a local church, I have been listening, reading, and re-posting his thoughts on our LoveForHisPeople.com website as often as I can. I like what he stands for in both the political arena and in faith-building areas.
One recent message of his briefly mentioned what pressure can do for us. Rather than what we often think it does against us, we can have another perspective. If we see it as an image of the Lord putting more air in our balloon to enlarge the rubber mass, the inside force pushing outward enables a bigger and better balloon to come forth. Thus, we are using pressure for good, rather than allowing it to bring bad results.
If, as the saying goes, “no pain no gain” is true, then pressure we experience can enable us to grow in our handling of surrounding forces that come at and against us. We have the opportunity to take the offense.
King David wrote of the “pressure of the wicked” in Psalm 55. Even before he was made king, enemy forces sought to take him out, remove any authority he believed he was given, and keep him from assuming his rightful place on the nation’s throne.
In America, forces of evil are pressing all around us, pushing the land further and further into ungodly territory, wanting to control and rule unjustly and without accountability to the Higher Power. That which was wrong, and still is, is now being said to be “OK, all permitting, with no concern about giving account to anyone.” Our children and grandchildren are being taught and led to believe that historical and foundational truths are not, with ungodly standards being imposed on them and the rest of society.
How do you handle pressure? How do I handle pressure?
I go to the Lord. He is the One Who can hold us upright.
“Keep me from the snares they have laid for me and the traps of the workers of wickedness. The wicked will fall into their own nets, while I escape.” Psalm 242:9-20, One New Man
“I will lift up my eyes to the mountains; from where shall my help come?
2 My help comes from the Lord, Who made heaven and earth.
3 He will not allow your foot to slip; He who keeps you will not slumber.
4 Behold, He who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.
5 The Lord is your keeper; the Lord is your shade on your right hand.
6 The sun will not smite you by day, nor the moon by night.
7 The Lord will protect you from all evil; He will keep your soul.
8 The Lord will guard your going out and your coming in from this time forth and forever.” Psalm 121, NASB
When I feel the weight of the world, the pressure coming at me wanting to bring discouragement, doubt, and weakness in my faith, I have learned to call upon the Name of the Lord, to look up to Him, to declare that He is the Rock on which I stand.
As I pray also in tongues, my spirit is renewed and faith builds, bringing more hope in His righteous and victorious outcome.
We need His daily encouragement. We need His daily Written Word, to keep us grounded and to walk on righteous paths.
He will take care of the wicked while He will uphold our hands through it all.
Ahava and shalom,
Steve Martin, Love For His People founder
SPECIAL NOTE: Our ministry’s mobile app is available for iPhones and Androids. This is a free app download. Look here: Love For His People free phone app
Please sign up for my email messages: Love For His People. The sign-up form is on our ministry website: ministry newsletter
You have the opportunity to help support the work of this ministry, including the assistance we give to families in Israel: DONATE online now. You can also send checks to:
Love For His People P.O. Box 414 Pineville, NC 28134
E-mail: loveforhispeople@gmail.com
Please share this message with your friends on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Tumblr, and LinkedIn. Others will be thankful you did. And I thank you too.
Message #49 – in the year of our Lord 06.08.21 – “Pressure” – Tuesday, 10:45 am in Charlotte, NC USA
