There has been times in my life when God would sort of re-teach me a lesson I had already learned. He, however, was not just merely teaching me the same thing over again. It would touch a different area of my life because it hit a little harder and dug a little deeper. He was getting a little more personal with me. This occurred again recently and my understanding of what was occurring was enlightened as well.
There are many times when we spit out Christian phrases and have a very limited, if any, understanding of what they really mean. And I am sure we at some point are ALL guilty of doing this. One of these phrases is "pressing in". We say it but what does it really mean and what does it look like in everyday life?
IMPRESS ~ Definition (American Heritage Dictionary)
1) To affect strongly, often favorably.
2) To produce or attempt to produce a vivid impression or image of.
3) To mark or stamp with or as if with pressure.
ENGRAVE ~ Definition (Dictionary.com)
To impress deeply as if by carving or etching.
*Exodus 32:16* The tablets were the work of God; the writing was the writing of God, engraved on the tablets.
*Hebrews 8:10* This is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after that time, declares the Lord. I will put my laws in their minds and write them on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people.
When I see the word "engrave" I am reminded of how the finger of God engraved the law onto the tablets of stone.
I am also reminded that the Lord said He will write the law on our hearts.
As God was dealing with me recently some things began to make sense. I already knew the things that God was instructing me in to be true and had walked them out in my life previously. However THIS TIME it hit me harder and dug deeper! And I began to realize that God is impressing upon me His will, His ways, His heart a little at a time.
So, what does that look like in everyday life? First of all it doesn't have to be only the big things. As a matter of fact we have this opportunity to press in everyday, all day, in the little things. We have an opportunity to press in every time God is impressing upon us which is always, we just feel it more at times than others. When you are in a position and you want to lie and God is saying no, when you know He is telling you to share Him with someone but fear is holding you back, when He is telling you to forgive but you are not sure you are willing to let it go just yet, when someone is rude to you and you have the opportunity to hold your peace or loose it, etc. These are all opportunities to press in.
It is like a cookie cutter! When you begin to press into the dough it begins only on the surface but as you continue to apply pressure it presses deeper until it cuts all the way through taking on the form of the cutter! We are being transformed into the image of Christ...His will, His ways, His HEART!
Now let's get back to our questions...What does us pressing in mean? We have a responsibility and we must RESPOND! When God begins to deal with or instruct us (impress upon or press into us) in a particular situation we will respond one of two ways. We will either turn from the pressure applied or turn into it. We must not back down because we become uncomfortable or we think that it is just to hard. If we back down we will never grow. If we are going to bear the image of Christ we must "press in"!
When we choose to press into God as He is applying the pressure to us what we are choosing to do is be transformed. We are willing to heed the instruction of God and do life His way from the inside out. So, it looks like this. The next time God gives you instruction, say yes and do it. The depths to which God will go in your life, in your heart, depends on your response to His impressing upon you.
So, How impressed are you? Where do you stand in your walk with God right now? Is He at any level of depth within your heart or have you kept His impression at bay and on the surface? It is important that we take an honest look at where we are personally because we must be intentional with our walk with the Lord if we are going to progress. We must begin to press in because without the pressing in there is no pressing on.
*Philippians 3:12-14* 12 Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. 13 Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, 14 I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
*Hebrews 12:7* Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father?
*Proverbs 3:11-12* 11My son, do not despise the LORD's discipline and do not resent his rebuke, 12 because the LORD disciplines those he loves, as a father the son he delights in.
*Proverbs 1:23* If you had responded to my rebuke, I would have poured out my heart to you and made my thoughts known to you.
