A lot of industries use pressure testing to evaluate the integrity of what they’re building. These tests can see what the max load is and also reveal any weaknesses that may not be visible otherwise. The same holds true for people. We all have our limits. Being under pressure for long periods of time can reveal areas we need to grow in, but it can also strengthen areas of our life. When areas weakness show up, we can either deny that it exists, make excuses, run from it or find ways to streNgthen and restore them. A lot of us default to denial, making excuses or running from it. We don’t like having these areas exposed, but the process is critical to our growth.
When Peter followed Jesus after He had been arrested, he had no idea he was going to be pressure tested. He had just told Jesus he would die for Him and that even if all the others abandoned Him, he wouldn’t. In John 18, a young girl simply Asked if he was one of Jesus’ disciples. Peter denied it. Then a guard asked him, but Peter denied it again. Right after that, a man said he saw Peter in the garden and Peter vehemently denied it. In that moment of pressure, Peter failed. We know that Jesus didn’t leave him in that broken state though. In John 21, Jesus took Peter aside and restored him making him stronger than before. When the time came to deny Jesus or face death, Peter was crucified.
1 Peter 5:10 says, ”And then, after your brief suffering, the God of all loving grace, who has called you to share in his eternal glory in Christ, will personally and powerfully restore you and make you stronger than ever. Yes, he will set you firmly in place and build you up“ (TPT). Suffering is often a pressure tester. Whatever it reveals is not the end or a mark of failure. It’s a sign that God has more work to do in that area of our life. I love how peter wrote here that whatever it reveals, God wil personally and powerfully restore in order to make you stronger. Then He will set you firmly in place and continue to build you up. God isn’t finished with you yet. He’s still working on you, making you stronger through pressure testing as you grow.
Photo by Robert Anasch on Unsplash
Devotions by Chris Hendrix 