I now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up in my flesh what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ, for the sake of His body, which is the church… —Colossians 1:24
We take our own spiritual consecration and try to make it into a call of God, but when we get right with Him He brushes all this aside. Then He gives us a tremendous, riveting pain to fasten our attention on something that we never even dreamed could be His call for us. And for one radiant, flashing moment we see His purpose, and we say, “Here am I! Send me” (Isaiah 6:8).This call has nothing to do with personal sanctification, but with being made broken bread and poured-out wine. Yet God can never make us into wine if we object to the fingers He chooses to use to crush us. We say, “If God would only use His own fingers, and make me broken bread and poured-out wine in a special way, then I wouldn’t object!” But when He uses someone we dislike, or some set of circumstances to which we said we would never submit, to crush us, then we object. Yet we must never try to choose the place of our own martyrdom. If we are ever going to be made into wine, we will have to be crushed—you cannot drink grapes. Grapes become wine only when they have been squeezed.
I wonder what finger and thumb God has been using to squeeze you? Have you been as hard as a marble and escaped? If you are not ripe yet, and if God had squeezed you anyway, the wine produced would have been remarkably bitter. To be a holy person means that the elements of our natural life experience the very presence of God as they are providentially broken in His service. We have to be placed into God and brought into agreement with Him before we can be broken bread in His hands. Stay right with God and let Him do as He likes, and you will find that He is producing the kind of bread and wine that will benefit His other children.
_______________________________________________________
September 30, 2016
Journal Entry for Today-JDV
Good morning Lord. Today we examined the notion of broken bread and poured out wine with Oswald Chambers. And he made it very clear that elements of our natural lives must be broken if we are to become broken bread and poured out wine for others……If we are ever going to be made into wine, we will have to be crushed—you cannot drink grapes. Grapes become wine only when they have been squeezed. Is this true? Do we have to go through very difficult circumstances to become bread and wine for others? Do we have to be crushed to be used?
And God says…The world is full of troubles and trials. You will face difficult times regardless of your salvation….”I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” John 16:33 . When you are surrendered to Me, are connected and curious, you will find it natural to be obedient even in the most difficult of times. The difficult part is to be surrendered before the troubles have their way with you. When you are surrendered and connected and difficult times arise, you will be able to live out of Romans 8:28 …”all things work together for the good of those that love the Lord”. When you are surrendered and connected, it is the Holy Spirit living through you that will face the trials, and you can take heart, because I have overcome the world. You are then able to objectively observe your life within the trials and difficult circumstances as a glorious unfolding of My life in yours.”