This too shall pass… It might pass like a kidney stone, but it will pass.
“For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory” 2 Corinthians 4:17 (KJV)
Throughout the Bible, scripture names many metaphors for God. Many of these relate to and tell us about his character. A large part of God’s character, as is true of any good parent, is a protector. Thus, one of the things that the Bible says is that the Lord is a shield.
A shield by definition is a defensive armor used to protect or defend a person. It can also act as a cover or barrier to hide a person or to cut them off from observation. In our lives, God can use this kind of protection to safeguard us from danger and attacks (spiritual or physical) or even discomfort, much like a shield could act as a barrier to offensive weapons. As a shield God can also provide us shelter or concealment from things that might otherwise have a negative effect on us, much like a shield can provide protection from the sun or heat or to hide one from predators.
Matthew Henry says of Psalm 3:3 that the Lord as a shield provides safety: “”Thou art a shield for me, a shield about me” (so some), “to secure me on all sides, since my enemies surrounded me.” Not only my shield (Gen. 15:1), which denotes an interest in the divine protection, but a shield for me, which denotes the present benefit and advantage of that protection.”[1]
Think about some of the areas where we might come under attack or require protection and be in need of a shield:
Our life/health (physical threats)
Our mind (emotional or mental threats)
Marriage
Our children
Other family
Relationships
Jobs
Property or personal belongings
Spiritual attacks
…to name a few
It should be comforting to us to know that the Lord is called our shield to protect us in areas and during times when we are vulnerable. He protects us because we are his own. It’s his nature. We can rest in knowing that we have someone that we can depend upon to protect, defend, and shelter us. We don’t have to do it alone. God will surround us as a shield to secure us on all sides, enclosing and encompassing us to keep us safe from diverse kinds of harm and destruction.
“And the LORD went before them by day in a pillar of cloud to lead them along the way, and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, that they might travel by day and by night.” Exodus 13:21 (ESV)
“Then the angel of God who was going before the host of Israel moved and went behind them, and the pillar of cloud moved from before them and stood behind them” Exodus 14:19 (ESV)
“Then your salvation will come like the dawn, and your wounds will quickly heal. Your godliness will lead you forward, and the glory of the LORD will protect you from behind.” Isaiah 58:8 (NLT)
“You go before me and follow me. You place your hand of blessing on my head.” Psalm 139:5 (NLT)
“For the angel of the LORD is a guard; he surrounds and defends all who fear him.” Psalm 34:7 (NLT)
“Just as the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the LORD surrounds his people, both now and forever.” Psalm 125:2 (NLT)
“The LORD keeps watch over you as you come and go, both now and forever.” Psalm 121:8 (NLT)
Let these verses be a reminder and a help to us that God is our shield and we have protection available!
A few weeks ago, I posted about some analogies of the pressing of olive oil and the pressing of Jesus. If you haven’t had a chance to read it yet, I encourage you to take some time to visit that post and read over some of the parallels and symbolism of the three phases of pressings. I think it can definitely give us encouragement and hope to remember that Jesus was crushed and pressed on our behalf, especially during times when we are feeling crushed ourselves.
Today, I’d like to share some scriptures that might offer some comfort and encouragement for when we are feeling crushed. Many offer reminders that we are not alone in these feelings, since others have experienced feeling crushed as well throughout scripture (Jesus included). Some of the verses remind us of God’s character, comfort, and rescue during times of feeling crushed. Other times we are reminded to rely on and surrender to God during these times and even to offer comfort to others who may be feeling crushed.
“God, you are my righteousness, my Champion Defender. Answer me when I cry for help! Whenever I was in distress, you enlarged me. I’m being squeezed again—I need your kindness right away! Grant me your grace, hear my prayer, and set me free!” Psalms 4:1 (TPT)
“Many people are suffering— crushed by the weight of their troubles. But the Lord is a refuge for them, a safe place they can run to.” Psalms 9:9 (ERV)
“The Lord is close to the brokenhearted; he rescues those whose spirits are crushed.” Psalms 34:18 (NLT)
“I am exhausted and completely crushed. My groans come from an anguished heart. …Do not abandon me, O Lord. Do not stand at a distance, my God. Come quickly to help me, O Lord my savior.” Psalms 38:8, 21-22 (NLT)
“Their insults have broken my heart, and I am in despair. If only one person would show some pity; if only one would turn and comfort me.” Psalm 69:20 (NLT)
“Lord, sustain me as you promised, that I may live! Do not let my hope be crushed.” Psalms 119:116 (NLT)
“The LORD opens the eyes of the blind. The LORD lifts up those who are weighed down. The LORD loves the godly.” Psalm 146:8 (NLT)
“He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.” Psalm 147:3 (ESV)
“The human spirit can endure a sick body, but who can bear a crushed spirit?” Proverbs 18:14 (NLT)
“My heart is crushed, and I am trembling. Because of the LORD, because of his holy words, I am like a man who is drunk, someone who has had too much wine.” Jeremiah 23:9 (GNT)
“I will seek what was lost and bring back what was driven away, bind up the broken and strengthen what was sick; but I will destroy the fat and the strong, and feed them in judgment.” Ezekiel 34:16 (NKJV)
“All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is our merciful Father and the source of all comfort. He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us. For the more we suffer for Christ, the more God will shower us with his comfort through Christ. Even when we are weighed down with troubles, it is for your comfort and salvation! For when we ourselves are comforted, we will certainly comfort you. Then you can patiently endure the same things we suffer. We are confident that as you share in our sufferings, you will also share in the comfort God gives us.” 2 Corinthians 1:3-7 (NLT)
“We think you ought to know, dear brothers and sisters, about the trouble we went through in the province of Asia. We were crushed and overwhelmed beyond our ability to endure, and we thought we would never live through it. In fact, we expected to die. But as a result, we stopped relying on ourselves and learned to rely only on God, who raises the dead.” 2 Corinthians 1:8-9 (NLT)
“For God, who said, “Let there be light in the darkness,” has made this light shine in our hearts so we could know the glory of God that is seen in the face of Jesus Christ. We now have this light shining in our hearts, but we ourselves are like fragile clay jars containing this great treasure. This makes it clear that our great power is from God, not from ourselves. We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed. We are perplexed, but not driven to despair. We are hunted down, but never abandoned by God. We get knocked down, but we are not destroyed. …For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever! So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever.” 2 Corinthians 4:6-9, 17-18 (NLT)
“For when we arrived in Macedonia, our bodies had no rest, but we were pressed from every direction—conflicts on the outside, fears within. But God, who comforts the downcast, comforted us by the arrival of Titus, and not only by his arrival, but also by the comfort he had received from you. He told us about your longing, your mourning, and your zeal for me, so that I rejoiced all the more.” 2 Corinthians 7:5-7 (BSB)
“And to you who are troubled rest with us…” 2 Thessalonians 1:7a (KJV)
“Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.” Psalm 23:4 (ESV)
“Cast your burden on the Lord [releasing the weight of it] and He will sustain you; He will never allow the [consistently] righteous to be moved (made to slip, fall, or fail).” Psalm 55:22 (AMPC)
“Casting all your cares [all your anxieties, all your worries, and all your concerns, once and for all] on Him, for He cares about you [with deepest affection, and watches over you very carefully].” 1 Peter 5:7 (AMP)
“I am burdened and broken by this pain. When your miracle rescue comes to me, it will lift me to the highest place.” Psalms 69:29 (TPT)
“Oh, Lord God, answer my prayers! I need to see your tender kindness, your grace, your compassion, and your constant love. Just let me see your face, and turn your heart toward me. Come running quickly to your servant. In this deep distress, come and answer my prayer.” Psalms 69:16-17 (TPT)
“You will not be subject to terror, for it will not terrify you. Nor will the disrespectful be able to push you aside, because God is your confidence in times of crisis, keeping your heart at rest in every situation.” Proverbs 3:25-26 (TPT)
“The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me, because the LORD has anointed me to bring good news to the poor; he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound; to proclaim the year of the LORD’s favor, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn;” Isaiah 61:1-2 (ESV) *See also Luke 4:18
“Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.” Matthew 11:28 (NLT)
“He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever.” Revelation 21:4 (NLT)
Jesus was crushed too Continue reading
A while ago a friend of mine approached me and asked about the benefits of corporate prayer (in other words, praying with one or more people). Previously, she had been discussing with some other friends on the topic. They were pondering the power of two or more prayers and why it would be more advantageous than praying alone if the individual praying had great faith. They brought up the point that the Bible says that if one person can have faith as small as a mustard seed anything is possible for them. If one person can have faith as small as a mustard seed and get their prayers answered, then what’s the benefit of praying with someone else?
“I also tell you this: If two of you agree here on earth concerning anything you ask, my Father in Heaven will do it for you. For where two or three gather together as my followers, I am there among them.” Matthew 18:19-20 (NLT)
“’You don’t have enough faith,’ Jesus told them. ‘I tell you the truth, if you had faith even as small as a mustard seed, you could say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it would move. Nothing would be impossible.’” Matthew 17:20 (NLT)
It’s a GREAT question! So today I thought we could talk about that.
I pointed out what Matthew 18:19-20 says about the tremendous power available when believers pray together in agreement because God’s presence is right there among them.
Then another good, and very wise 😉 friend in my small group, Michelle, had even better insight. She pointed out that it doesn’t necessarily mean that corporate prayer is more powerful than praying alone but that we feel more empowered when we pray with others. Michelle said, “It doesn’t have to do with God’s power. It’s more about us. It helps us.” So, the benefit is more for us, not for better chances of the prayer being answered.
Corporate prayer is not a magical power enhancement button that we push. Praying with others does not always necessarily mean that these prayers are more powerful than individual prayers. However, they do have their benefits!
About a year ago I saw an Instagram post by Dave Adamson that brought several analogies to mind and inspired me to do some research and write a post. His post was about Jesus praying in the Garden of Gethsemane and the parallels of an olive press (“Gethsemane”) and Jesus being pressed with the weight of our sin and his sacrifice.
As we enter the Lent season this week, I’d like to share the analogies that came to mind as something that we all might meditate on during this season. These can be a reminder to us of Jesus being crushed and pressed on our behalf. We can also be reminded in our own times of crushing and pressing that God is able to produce something very good and useful from every last drop of pain and suffering that we endure.
“Here’s something cool about Jesus! We all know that Jesus prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane … but do you know what else was happening?
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In Biblical times, farmers would put olives in the trough of a giant stone olive press, and then roll the large, heavy circular stone over them. The enormous weight of the stone crushed the olives, allowing the oil inside to pour out through a spout cut into the stone.
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The first pass of the heavy stone produced the most precious, pure drops of olive oil. This oil was extremely expensive and was used to anoint kings. The stone was then rolled over the olives again, producing a second batch of oil that was used to heal the sick. A third pass of the stone produced oil that was used to cook, or to light lampstands.
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In Hebrew, this sort of olive press is called a “gat shemanim” (גת שמנים pronounced “geth-sem-uh-nim”), which we translate in English as “gethsemane”. Sound familiar?
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On the night he was betrayed, Jesus went into the Garden of Gethsemane to pray. It was that the weight of his sacrifice caused Jesus to develop Hematohidrosis—a condition where a person under extreme duress literally sweats drops of blood.
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It was in Gethsemane that the first drops of Jesus’ blood appeared, as the weight of our sin pressed down on him. So the next time you use olive oil to cook, remember Jesus’ sacrifice … which started in the Garden of the Olive Press.
“He was crushed because of our sins; the punishment that brought us peace was on him …” — Isaiah 53:5”[1]
~Dave Adamson, Instagram
During my research about the pressing of olives and the uses of each pressing, I found some discrepancies about the uses of oil from the various pressings (i.e. about which of the three pressings produced oil for light and for cooking). However, the analogies and parallels that we can gather from them remain relevant and useful regardless of the order.
Here are the three pressings and their uses:
The oil from the first pressing of olives is the purest form of the oil and was used to consecrate things as holy, used to anoint kings and priests, and used for pure light in holy places (keeping the menorah in the Tabernacle and Temple burning). *See Exodus 30:22-32, Exodus 40:9-15, 1 Samuel 16:1 & 13, 1 Kings 1:39, Exodus 27:20, Exodus 28:41, Exodus 29:7, Leviticus 24:2
Oil from the second pressing was used to make medicine or pharmaceutical ointments for healing and utilized for cooking and food. *See Isaiah 1:6, Luke 10:34, Mark 6:13, James 5:14, Leviticus 2:5, Exodus 29:2, Ezekiel 16:19, 1 Kings 17 & there are also multiple medical articles about the medicinal uses of olive oil
The oil from the third and last pressing was to make soap (lye) and used for light (for lighting lamps for everyday use–we can also see from the first pressing that oil was used for light there as well but for holy purposes),. * See Job 9:30, Jeremiah 2:22, Malachi 3:2, See Matthew 25
As we are a couple of weeks into the new year, several people are making new commitments, forming new habits, and strengthening spiritual disciplines. Sometimes, I find it helpful to revisit the basics and/or review or remind myself of some things that can be helpful.
Below are some links to revisit some of the basics via some of our previous posts. (You can also find these posts via the “New to the Faith? / The Basics” page on the blog’s menu.)
A Christian’s purpose and mission in life is to continue to become and live like Jesus. It is possible! In fact, we are told to do so in several places in scripture. Jesus even says numerous times, “Follow Me…” It is said that there are recurring 4 phases of a journey that every Christian goes through: Know God (learning), Grow in Freedom (fixing broken stuff in our lives), Discover Purpose (discovering and using your God-given gifts and talents and life experiences), and Go Make Disciples, Go Make a Difference (helping others grow and making a difference in the world).
I don’t have an advent calendar so I’m just opening cupboard doors and eating whatever’s in there.
“For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving,” 1 Timothy 4:4 (ESV)
My sister sent this to me yesterday saying “Now I know my ABCs”. I love this person’s sense of humor! 😂
“For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or one stroke of a letter will pass away from the law until all things are accomplished.” Matthew 5:18 (CSB)
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