Daily Devotional for April 2, 2020
Under Pressure
Alexa watched her sister tighten the lids on several jars of beans and place them
in a pressure cooker. Then she put the lid on the cooker and adjusted the heat. “How does a pressure cooker work, Hazel?” asked Alexa. She was spending the weekend at her older sister’s apartment, and Hazel was showing her how to can beans they’d bought at the farmer’s market.
“The heat causes pressure to build up inside the cooker, which helps cook and preserve the beans inside the jars,” Hazel replied. “When they’re done, we’ll be able to store them for a year or more, and they won’t spoil.”
When the beans were finished cooking, Hazel turned the stove off. “Now we need to wait and let the pressure go down before we open the cooker.”
CRACK! Alexa jumped. “What was that?”
Hazel frowned. “I think a jar inside the cooker cracked. It must have had a weak spot and couldn’t handle the pressure. We’ll check when it’s safe to open it.”
They grabbed some snacks and flopped down on the couch. “I feel like that jar sometimes,” Alexa told her sister. “Like I’ll crack under pressure.”
“What do you mean?” asked Hazel.
“There’s pressure at school everywhere!” Alexa said. “Kids are always trying to get me to do things I’m not supposed to, and if I don’t, they make me feel like I’m the one who’s wrong!”
Hazel nodded. “I felt that way when I was in school too. But pressure can work two ways, like it did in the pressure cooker.”
“You mean, it cooks the food and keeps it from spoiling, but sometimes it makes a jar crack?”
“Right!” said Hazel. “Pressure in our lives can work that way too. It can preserve us by reminding us we belong to Jesus and helping us stand firm in our faith. Or it can make us crack and give in to temptation.”
“Do people have weak spots too?” Alexa asked.
“Sometimes, but we have the power of God’s Spirit to help us,” Hazel replied. “He reminds us of God’s truth and gives us the strength we need to do what’s right—and even if we do give in under pressure, Jesus will forgive us so we can start over. He’ll help you stand firm so you don’t crack.” BARBARA J. WESTBERG
How about you?
Do you feel like you’re under pressure? It can be hard not to give in to peer pressure to go along with what everyone else seems to be doing. But if you know Jesus, you have the Holy Spirit to give you strength. In today’s Bible passage, God was with Daniel when he was under pressure, and He’ll be with you too. Trust Him for the strength to stand firm.
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