When you crush a flower, you release the fragrance!! God allows us to be crushed so that there may be release of concentrated fragrance. When God wants to release concentrated fragrance, He crushes the person, for:
- special perfume;
- increasing spiritual value;
- extra usefulness;
God will crush the person. He only crushes those who are His special lovers. He only crushes those who when crushed will say, “I’m being promoted!” When you are hurt, you are being prepared for greater fruitfulness. It is the branch that bears fruit that God prunes, and pruning is painful. Pruning is God’s way of congratulating those who are fruitful. He is preparing them for greater fruitfulness. He is promoting them! He is congratulating them! But many people do not know God and do not know His ways. They suppose that God pats on the back those whom He loves. But the one who knows God, when he is hurt, he confesses, “I’ve been chosen for promotion, more fruit is forthcoming…” That is why those who know God rejoice
- in tribulation;
- in opposition;
- in the misinterpretation of their motives.
Why do all your own plans fail? So that His own plans would be accomplished! Be- cause if your own plans work, they will give birth to many ‘giant rats’ but God’s own plans will lead to the birth of many ‘lions.’ When God dismantles your projects that will lead to ‘giant rat’ accomplishments, it is an act of love so that He may lead you to ‘lion’ accomplishments.
When God is dismantling unsavoury things from your life, you will not handle it well unless you are assured of God’s love for you, unless you are assured that God’s love for you is and will be permanent. Some people go back to doubting whether they are loved or not once there are problems. Many wives are like that. Once there is a problem, they go back to digging the foundations. If you are always digging the foundations, is it any wonder that the building collapses? Are you loved? Are you loved totally and irrevocably by people without any impure motive? How many such people are there who love you like that? The foundation is love!
Some people cling to any criticism against them but if you confess love to them or compliment them, they will not believe you. This is not right!
It is a great blessing to be loved totally by a human being! It gives you ‘lion’ strength. It gives you power to melt mountains and to break rocks. I thank God that I have been loved not only by the Lord but by people whose love and motives are pure and whose love will not end, whose love is eternal.
