The God-Squeeze

"And no one puts new wine into old wineskins. For the old skins would burst from the pressure, spilling the wine and ruining the skins. New wine is stored in new wineskins so that both are preserved." -Matthew 9:17 Occasionally God will bring us to a place where he squeezes the life out of us. Yup, that's right. We don't actually die - although it sure can feel like it! God does this to move us forward, help us realize something about ourselves, or put His finger on sin in our lives. Often it could be a combination of all of these. When we feel uncomfortable in our walk with God, it might be an indication that God is trying to move us forward, out of the mediocre, out of the desert, out of slavery, and/or out of Egypt. Often we won't know what it is God is trying to do until we move forward in Him. It is then that we can move past the discomfort into a place that may require more responsibility, more purity, or more strength or endurance, but certainly greater authority. Growing is uncomfortable. It requires overcoming. Growing requires doing something when we don't feel like it. It may require admitting sin or beginning from a place of humility. Whatever type of "God-squeeze" you are experiencing, know that it is a part of God's plan to bring about his perfect will in your life. "...for my power is made perfect in weakness." (2 Corinthians 12:9b) How will you respond to the God-squeeze? Take up the challenge to pull through. “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it." -Matthew 7:13-14 Related resource: How People Grow: What the Bible Reveals About Personal Growth, by Henry Cloud & John Townsend

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