hot off the whine press‏

Proverbs 30:33

For pressing milk produces curds,
pressing the nose produces blood,
and pressing anger produces strife.

Pressing grapes produces wine.

Pressing pride produces whining.

Being hard-pressed ALWAYS produces something and that something places the object acted upon in a different state than if it had NOT been hard-pressed.

What is initiating the pressure and what is being pressed upon determines the outcome.

When God presses us, it produces poured out wine for our good and His glory in pressing us into the stamp and image of Christlikeness.

Just like in John 15 where we observe that pruning produces fruit, pressing produces change. Pruning hurts, but it’s to our good and God’s glory as increased fruit production ministers to us, our neighbors and our God’s delight.

Back to pressing.

Are we willing to be crushed that the full ripeness of our hurt may produce sweet wine for the rest?

God is gracious to crush us at the right time in order to prevent the whine from being bitter.