In the Crushing

As I was coming home from work one night, the Lord kept giving me the word “Crushing,” I instantly thought of the song “New Wine” by Hillsong worship. Here are some of the lyrics-

In the crushing
In the pressing
You are making new wine
In the soil
I now surrender
You are breaking new ground
So I yield to You into Your careful hand
When I trust You I don't need to understand
Make me Your vessel
Make me an offering
Make me whatever You want me to be
I came here with nothing
But all You have given me
Jesus bring new wine out of me

This song often brings me back to the verse in Matthew 9:17-
“And no one puts new wine into old wineskins. For the old skins would burst from the pressure, spilling the wine and ruining the skins. New wine is stored in new wineskins so that both are preserved.”

We can’t put new fresh wine into old wineskins; we have to be willing to be pruned so that we can fully flourish in our walk with the Lord.

When we try to put new wine into old wine skins, it stops the growth from producing and takes away the opportunity to be strengthened in our Faith. We can’t put the new into what is old and from the past. We can look at the crushing as an opportunity to walk in confidence knowing that the pruning and growing will begin to blossom the Lord’s blessings in our lives.

Crushing grows us and it brings in a new and fresh anointing in our lives. Do you realize that when you are in the crushing, God is beginning to prune, grow, and elevate you to your next season in life. Your crushing and pruning season has a purpose, and that is to glorify the Lord. Our crushing can sometimes be an encouragement to someone else because they may be walking through the same hardship or something similar. We have to be willing to be pruned and crushed so that growth in the Lord can take place in our lives.
 
The Lord uses our difficult seasons and challenges to grow us for His glory. We have to fully surrender in our crushing so that our faith doesn’t start to become weak. We have to learn to give up our own control when some seasons are more difficult than others. The process of the crushing is never easy, but the result of surrendering and trusting in the Lord brings freedom and peace.

Whatever season you may be walking in, whether it’s good, hard, long, or short….. Praise HIM anyway because He is forever faithful in every season. As we walk into a new year, allow the crushing to grow and strengthen you in our Heavenly Father.
 
“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 pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you.” – Isaiah 43:2