God's Merlot

Is God stomping your grapes ? - Crushed But Not Destroyed

The Crushing

The bible is rich with symbolism, oil and wine being two of the most common. Olive oil is made from the crushing and processing of olives.

Oil in bible is symbolic of many different things, but is most commonly used to symbolize consecration, which is the process by which something is made holy.

Wine is made by the crushing and processing of grapes and is a biblical symbol of life, vitality, blessings, prosperity and the blood of Jesus.

But, what really happens during crushing ? When an object is crushed, an external force is applied, this force must be greater than the forces or bonds within an object, the ones holding it together.

Sound familiar? Life can create some unique circumstances that leave us feeling, well, crushed, pressed on every side, just like the grape, the outside pressure becomes too great and we are tempted to buckle, to fold, to give up.

Why we are crushed

1. God’s Will and Your Submission

Before Jesus was crucified, He was crushed. So much so that His sweat turned to bood as He asked God, the father, if there was any possible way for Him to not be crucified. “Let this cup pass from me” He cried.

Sometimes we forget that even though Jesus was fully God, He was also fully man, so He experienced the fullness of human emotions.

But, what He said next was telling.

… nevertheless, not what I will [not what I desire], but as You will and desire. (Matthew 26:39 AMPC )

In this moment Jesus had every right to be afraid, He was about to be separated from His father and feel the fullness of His wrath, His judgement.

He knew His father could send legions of angels to rescue Him but that wasn’t the plan, that was not His purpose.

He was able to submit to the supremacy of the Father, knowing the plan He had was best, regardless of how He felt.

Fact is, God has to turn up the heat on some of us by way of our circumstances to break our self reliance and pride.

To force us to rely on Him and Him only. Some difficulties are God sent, not to break us but to bring us to our knees so we can look up, it is mercy at work.

… who fed you in the wilderness with manna, which your fathers did not know, that He might humble you and that He might test you, to do you good in the end— ( Deuteronomy 8:16 NKJV )

2. The Unmaking and Your Testimony

“I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit. ( John 15:2 NKJV )

I thought coming to Christ would mean He was gonna make me into a better version of me, Raynya 3.0 - The Christly Platinum Ultra Deluxe Edition. I didn’t anticipate being unmade.

The bible says the human heart is deceitful above all things, Paul said in Romans in the flesh dwells no good thing, David cried to God, “create in me a clean heart, renew a right spirt within me”. We are not good as we are.

We need to be remade. Refined.

Behold, I have refined you, but not as silver; I have tried and chosen you in the furnace of affliction. ( Isaiah 48:10 AMPC )

In order to get pure gold, that is 24k gold, gold alloy is heated to 1064 degrees Celcius or 1947.2 degrees Farenheit. Upon being heated the impurities ( other metals ) rise to the surface and are skimmed off, leaving behind pure gold.

This is exactly what God is using your trial, what you feel like is crushing you, to do to you.

The closer you get to God, the clearer you are able to see yourself, the more concious you become of your sin. Affliction is like a furnace, it exposes what’s inside of you.

It brings the ugly to the surface. Could God be using your storm, to show you, you ? To reveal to you the parts of you that need to be surrendered?

He could never have negative intentions for us, that is not the heart of a father. He sent me to tell you, your pain is birthing purpose, in you, for you and then through you. If your affliction feels heavy, im here to tell you that there is greater glory on the horizon.

A part of how your glory will manifest is in your testimony, the one He is using your afflictions to write, the story of what and how you overcame - that will bring help others to Him and will ultimately Him glory.

Your pain isn’t just for you.

For our light, momentary affliction (this slight distress of the passing hour) is ever more and more abundantly preparing and producing and achieving for us an everlasting weight of glory [beyond all measure, excessively surpassing all comparisons and all calculations, a vast and transcendent glory and blessedness never to cease!] ( 2 Corinthians 4:17 AMPC )

Lie Bustin’

1. But you don’t know what I’m dealing with..

True but I know someone who does. He sees everything, He is in your business and He sent me on a lie busting mission.

And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose ( Romans 8:28 AMPC )

That says ALL, can I give you guys a little Jamaican patois for a second ? - EVERY TING! EVERY SINGLE TING! The good, bad and the ugly, it’s working for your good. If you can’t see how yet, He’s not done.

2. But this trial is lowkey my fault..

Fair enough, sins have consequences, maybe you’re walking in that. Remember Joseph, he might have had a hand in the hatred his brothers showed him, he was prideful and braggy. Here’s what he said when he saved them in the end.

But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive ( Genesis 50:20 NKJV )

Even your missteps are working for your good. If God is able to use what others have done to you for your good, He can and will use your missteps for your good as well.

3. I hear you sis but I feel forgotten.

Can a woman forget her nursing child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? Yes, they may forget, yet I will not forget you. Behold, I have indelibly imprinted (tattooed a picture of) you on the palm of each of My hands.. ( Isaiah 48:15-16 AMPC)

The Holy Spirit led me to this verse this week. Saints, I stay grateful but I do not love my job in healthcare, I do not love my profession. I am not even slighly passionate about it. God led me to it and I’m still here over 10 years later because He wants me to be.

It’s mundane and it requires me to always be ‘on’, cheerful , willing to go above and beyond and as an extraverted intravert, I don’t always have it like that.

I’ve been denied promotions, even though I do the work and have a whole Masters. What is God doing? Letting patience have it’s perfect work, I guess. Sometimes it just has to work a lil bit harder in ya girl.

I felt forgotten until I read that verse this week. I’ve gotta trust His plan, and you do too, remember the one where He said it was to prosper not harm us, to give us hope and a future?

For You

We are hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed ( 2 Corinthians 4:8-10 NKJV)

Crushed but not destroyed. Your feelings are not facts. You are crushed but not destroyed. It hurts and there seems to be no way out. You are crushed but not destroyed. The storm was not sent to take you out.

I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have [perfect] peace and confidence. In the world you have tribulation and trials and distress and frustration; but be of good cheer [take courage; be confident, certain, undaunted]! For I have overcome the world. [I have deprived it of power to harm you and have conquered it for you.] ( John 16:33 AMPC ).

There may be no peace in the storm but there is peace, in Him.

You entered the crushing as a grape but from you, He will make a wonderful merlot.

Can you relate ? Let me know what resonated.

For His Glory,

Raynya.