“Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow” (Psalm 51:7).
Several years ago we were on a cruise ship moving along the inner passage to Alaska. The scenery was absolutely outstanding and the ice fields and glaciers most interesting. We rented a helicopter and toured the ice fields. The large crevices in the ice seemed to go down for hundreds of feet. The color of the ice was a clear, pure aqua. We were told that the ice fields become this color because the pressure and weight of many, many snowfalls, one on top of another, squeezed out all the impurities.
I thought about this and realized Christians, too, become more pure and Christ-like when, through the hardships in life, God puts pressure on us and squeezes out anything that isn’t pure. There are no shortcuts to Christian maturity. Because of His Spirit within us, He never gives us more than we can bear. Christian maturity is a lifelong process.
Thank You, Lord for the times of pressure and pain that come to our lives. You are using them to squeeze out the habits, attitudes and actions that do not reflect You. Amen.
FURTHER READING
Forgiveness is Good for Your Health
Love Your Neighbour
Who Will You Fight For?
Be Patient
Love is Patient and Kind – a story of a man on a bus
Have You Forgiven Yourself