Wednesdays in the Word

Well, here we are - it's Wednesday!! Wow this week is hurrying by, isn't it! 

I'm afraid with my crazy schedule that I'm going to need to consolidate my blog.  I'm gonna pray about it and see where God leads, but I just don't want to throw something together for you guys to waste your time reading and I don't want to dishonor God's Word in doing so.   I'd ask that you join me in praying exactly how I should move forward with the blog postings.

Today's Scripture is Luke 22:31-34 “Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift all of you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.” But he replied, “Lord, I am ready to go with you to prison and to death.”  Jesus answered, “I tell you, Peter, before the rooster crows today, you will deny three times that you know me.”

This is part of a passage that I've been working through for the past couple of weeks.  I've kind of hung onto the words "Satan has asked to sift all of you as wheat." and have been reading a lot of different translations and commentaries on this passage. 

What does it mean to be sifted like wheat and why would Satan have to ask to do so?  To be sifted like wheat means to get rid of the unusable parts of us - to peel away the layers of "life chaff" that have cloaked us that keep us from moving into the fullness of lives lived to glorify the Father.  When wheat is sifted it goes through several processes depending on it's future use.  If it's going to be used for feed for animals or for seed, the process isn't very long or tough.  If it's going to be used as a whole grain, it's not bleached and the fibrous grain remains more in tact.  If it's going to be made into flour, it is ground down to a fine powder and doesn't resemble it's original form at all.  Wheat berries have an eternal shelf life.  In fact, wheat berries have been found in tombs of rulers in Egypt and other ancient areas for the dead to carry food into the afterlife. Upon examination, the berries had not molded or decayed at all and were readily usable in their cleaned form.  Interesting parallel, don't you think! When Christians are sifted, we go through hard times.  We may endure seasons of loss, seasons of grief, seasons of financial hardship, fall away from our faith, etc. and we endure whatever it is in us that is impure or has a stronghold upon us that God wants to clear away to make us useful for eternity without decay or mold (pride or self-righteousness).  It's painful to be pressed and ground -- but the result produces such good fruit. 

Why would Satan have to ask God to sift Peter and the other disciples?  Because they were set apart as God's children.  Satan had no access to their lives without God's permission and direction and there were limitations placed on what he would be allowed to do.  Does it seem cruel that God would allow such pain to come into our lives or the lives of the disciples? 


If we believe that Jesus is God's Holy Son and have accepted Him as our Savior, we are sealed for all eternity as God's adopted children.  Because of this relationship, Satan no longer has access to us without God allowing it.  God sees into our hearts, thoughts, and motives and wants us to become more like Him - and pattern our lives to be like Christ.  When God sees that there is "junk" inside us that isn't useful or is a hindrance to this process, He allows us to be sifted by Satan in order to boil this stuff out of us.  Satan, however, sees this as an opportunity to steal us away or make us ineffective because our focus is disturbed.  If he can sift us hard enough, he can wear us down and make us ineffective at producing fruit for God's kingdom - which is part of his plan to steal, kill and destroy us in any way possible.  One comment I read was that Satan's motive in sifting Peter may have been to grind him into flour, thus rendering him no ability to reproduce or produce fruit again.  But God sets limits on Satan's sifting and keeps a close watch on His children during these seasons. 

James 1:12 says, "Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him." -- this follows James 1:2 that asks us to "Count it all joy when we encounter various trials, because these trials will produce perseverance...

Paul encourages us to "stay the course, finish the race".  Jesus tells us, "In this world you WILL have trouble, but take heart, for I have overcome the world."

Friends, I'm gonna say this and it's not easy - we need to find a way to avoid belly-aching when we are experiencing a little sifting season.  (I'm talking to myself too).  We need to dig deep and take a breath and praise God that He loves us enough to want to boil ourselves out of us.  We need to trust God when it seems there is no end in sight and things aren't getting any easier...and we need to rest in knowing that if God loved us enough to let His innocent son, endure poverty, humiliation, ridicule, pain and suffering and death in the worst form of execution known to man (see John 3:16), then a little sifting for us just doesn't compare, does it? 

I understand the frustration of it, I'm living right in the middle of a sifting season myself, and there are days I want to throw up my hands and scream.  But God always provides me with a reminder that there are others who are having it much worse than I am...and that I'm not made for this world - I'm made for eternity. 

If we're going to be sifted, let's be sure that the product that comes out is something that is useful and not the chaff that is taken away by the wind.  If God is interested in making us more like Jesus - then let's be sure that the Bread of Life doesn't grow stale in our temples...or that we store up the manna and let it sour and turn rancid.

Sifting is making us useful.  Sifting is making us pure.  Sifting is peeling away the layers of worldliness, selfishness, unforgiveness and ungodliness and what will remain will be tasty for the Father's table. 

Remember, God won't allow Satan to put more on you than you can endure - it may feel like it and you may argue that you won't make it -- but I bet you will...and so will I.  Mother Teresa once said, I know that God won't give me more than I can handle -- sometimes I just wish He didn't trust me so much!" --- Our ultimate goal should be to hear "Well Done, thou good and faithful servant - welcome home -- no enter into your rest!" -- and enduring this sifting season is part of the process.

If you are in a sifting season right now, let me encourage you to make a list of reasons why you are a miracle.  I did this as an exercise this week because I had gotten a little bit down.  When I put it on paper and saw it, I was truly amazed -- and I believe you will be as well.

I hope you have had a good Wednesday...and I pray that these words have blessed you this day.  You are so valuable and God loves you so much!!

See ya tomorrow....Amy