It’s A Pressure Cooker!

May 7, 2020

It’s A Pressure Cooker!

I was doing some cooking a few days ago, when I noticed something felt wrong with our pressure cooker.  As I lifted the pot filled with water, the handle seemed to bend under the weight inside.

Normally, the pressure inside the pressure cooker is the focus of the cook’s attention.  But, the pressure being exerted on the pan’s handle by the weight of the water was also noteworthy.

Everyone understands the pressure inside the pressure cooker when the lid is sealed.  But, no one had noticed the pressure caused by the cracked plastic handle on the outside of the pressure cooker.  Both sources of pressure are important.

If not handled properly the pressure inside the cooker can cause the cooker to explode.  When that happens, you end up with mashed potatoes on the kitchen ceiling.  In a like manner, the pressure on the handle of the cooker can cause the handle to fail and the contents fall to the floor.

Whether the pressure causes an explosion that hits the ceiling or causes a break that hits the floor does not matter; the danger and the damage are significant!  The lid and the handle can handle only such much pressure before it reaches the breaking point. 

Like a pressure cooker, you and I can only withstand so much pressure.  And today, some of you are at the point of exploding or breaking.

When the pressure in our lives is manifest in external ways, other people notice and can respond with encouragement, support, and even prayer.  However, there are times when the pressure in our lives is manifest in ways that others do not often see; like a cracked plastic handle!

No matter how spiritual you are, how much you pray, or how much you love Jesus, pressure comes when we are faced with challenges.  This is especially true when the challenges linger on and on and on.  When the pressure continues to increase, we need relief.

In II Corinthians 1:8-9, the Apostle Paul describes the pressure he was experiencing while planting churches in Asia.  Paul writes; “We do not want you to be unaware, brothers and sisters, of the affliction we experienced in Asia; for we were so utterly, unbearably crushed that we despaired of life itself.  Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death…”  

Even when Paul loves Jesus with all his heart, even when what Paul is doing is for God’s glory, even when Paul had devoted his life to the Lord God, there were seasons of great pressure.  Paul says he felt “…utterly, unbearably crushed…” 

The good news is we do not walk through these seasons of pressure alone; Jesus is our help, our hope, and our healing.  In II Corinthians 1:9-10 Paul writes; “…we would rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead.  He who rescued us from so deadly a peril will continue to rescue us; on him we have set our hope that he will rescue us again…”

When the pressure mounts, especially the pressure no one else can see, we are inclined to work harder and dig deeper.  And sometimes that is exactly what we need to do.  But, never should we respond to the pressures that are crushing us by relying only on ourselves.  Paul calls us to set “…our hope that he (Jesus) will rescue us again…”  The good news is Jesus has rescued us in the past and Jesus will rescue us again.

No matter how great the pressure is today, Jesus will rescue you from this season of pressure.  It is Jesus who will set you free to enjoy a life that is more abundant; a life that is filled with God’s grace, Jesus’ love, and the Spirit’s power.  Invite Jesus to rescue you from the pressure today!

Take delight in the Lord!

Doug