BBD 08.02.05 Hard Pressed
Posted by: wrather <wrather@...>
make this transition and during this time the old website will remain at the
current url http://www.theburningbush.org and the new website will be at the url
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transition is complete and new devotionals will be posted at the new and old
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The Burning Bush Devotional
1,409 New Subscribers since November 2004
08.02.05
Hard-Pressed
(Originally sent 02.26.03)
We are hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but
not in despair; persecuted, but nor forsaken; struck down, but not
destroyed - always carrying about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus,
that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body. For we who live
are always delivered to death for Jesus' sake, that the life of Jesus also
may be manifested in our mortal flesh. - 2 Corinthians 4:8-11.
John Opp was sleeping in a CSX rail car on a bed of lime rock gravel when he
had a rude awakening. He was awakened when more of the lime rock gravel was
poured into the train car and Opp was buried up to his neck in the gravel.
Rail workers heard Opp screaming and called for help to free him. Tom
Francis, a spokesman for the Jacksonville Fire-Rescue said, "He seems to be
OK . in the sense that there were no visible injuries; no compound
fractures." Opp, who is 24 years old, told police that he had been forced to
try riding the rails home to Minnesota after being robbed in West Palm
Beach, Florida.
John Opp knows what it is like to be hard-pressed on every side. It was not
a pleasant experience as evidenced by Opp's screaming and flailing about.
The apostle Paul knew all about being hard-pressed as well and very possibly
you may know what it is like too. A fact of life is that at some point
everyone will experience some problems. Job shared, "Man who is born of
woman is of few days and full of trouble (Job 14:1)." Things have not
changed much since the time of Job. John Opp most likely would testify to
that.
There are several ways we can face the pressure of life. The way many try to
handle pressure is by "screaming" and "flailing" about. It may result in
someone rescuing you but most likely it will not be a long-term solution.
Another approach is that of the apostle Paul's. Paul realized that the
pressure of life was only temporary and he also saw and understood an
amazing thing. What Paul could see and understood was that the more pressure
he was under the more of Christ that was evident in his life. The weaker
Paul became physically the stronger he became spiritually as the Lord
manifested Himself in Paul's life (John 14:21).
What hope do you have? Who will help you in your time of trouble? Who will
sustain you when the pressure is becoming stronger and stronger? The writer
of Hebrews says, "For He Himself has said, 'I will never leave you nor
forsake you.' So we may boldly say: 'The Lord is my helper; I will not fear.
What can man do to me?'" We must look beyond this world and remember that
just as our Lord Jesus was victorious and rose again - so will we who know
Him as our Savior. We may be hard-pressed but through the great sacrifice of
our Lord we will never be destroyed.
So the next time you are tempted to start screaming and flailing about
remember that your Lord is with you and He will never ever forsake you.
Copyright © 2003-2005. Ed Wrather. Permission is given for use of the
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website has been online since January 31, 1998. On June 8, 1998 the email
version of the Burning Bush Devotional was first sent.
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