My friend, it is a joy to gather with you in this way. Here in Akasia, with the Pretoria sun warming the earth, let's talk about a truth that has burned in my own heart: your present struggle is not a sign of God's abandonment; it is evidence of His profound trust in you.
The Crucible of the Karoo: A Personal Story of Friction
Just last week, I found myself at Comic Con Africa right here in Johannesburg, a vibrant tapestry of our nation's diversity . I saw a young man, Nkosinathi, who called the event a "safe space" where South Africans of all races and classes could forget their social issues and have fun together . His words struck me. He was describing a glimpse of the unity we all crave, a temporary sanctuary from the friction of our national life.
This friction is all too real. We feel it in the alarming reports of violence against women and the heartbreaking stories of children still learning in schools with pit latrines . We feel it in the political scapegoating and the painful legacy of inequality that persists . I have felt this friction in my own life, in moments of ministry where the needs of the people seemed to dwarf the resources at hand. I once prayed fervently for a difficult season to end, for God to simply remove the pressure. But in His wisdom, He did not. Instead, I felt Him impressing on my spirit: I am not crushing you; I am compressing you. Diamonds are not formed in comfortable places.
This is the mystery the apostle Paul speaks of when he writes, "We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair" (2 Corinthians 4:8). The pressure is the very condition for the promotion.
The Unshakeable Logic of a Loving God
When hardship comes, our hearts can whisper a lie: "God is punishing me. He has left me." This is a foundational error we must confront with truth. Let us reason together with logical precision, as the philosophical theologians do, defining our terms and building our case .
1. Major Premise: The Scripture declares that God is both perfectly loving (1 John 4:8) and supremely sovereign (Daniel 4:35).
2. Minor Premise: Nothing can come into the life of a believer without first passing through the sovereign will of a loving God (Romans 8:28).
3. Conclusion: Therefore, any struggle God allows is filtered through His perfect love and serves a purposeful, good end.
A common objection is, "But if He loves me, why does it hurt?" This fails because it confuses comfort with character development. A loving father does not give his child a stone when he asks for bread, but neither does he deny him the necessary, if sometimes painful, vaccination that protects him from a deadly disease. The resistance you feel is not the hostility of an enemy, but the necessary friction of the Potter's hands, shaping the clay for a greater capacity .
The Divine Promotion: From Pit Latrine to Palace
Look at the story of Joseph in the book of Genesis. His journey was one of devastating friction: betrayed by brothers, sold into slavery, falsely accused, and forgotten in a prison pit. At any point, he could have believed the lie of abandonment. Yet, each step was a promotion in disguise, a preparation for a palace. He was not being punished; he was being positioned.
This is a word for us in South Africa today. The very struggles we face as a nation—the calls for justice, the energy crisis, the societal pain—are not signs of God's absence. They are the friction required for us to rise to a new level of national strength, integrity, and faith. Just as South Africa stood on the world stage to champion international justice at the ICJ, a move that required resilience and conviction , so God is calling you to stand in your own life. He has equipped you for this exact moment. You are not being sidelined; you are being prepared for a throne-room assignment.
The Final Word: You Are Equipped
The world tells you to seek a frictionless life, a path of least resistance. But the way of the Cross, the way of Christ, shows us that true glory is forged in the fires of adversity. Jesus Himself told His disciples, "In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world" (John 16:33).
He is not asking you to endure something He has not already faced and conquered. The same power that raised Christ from the dead is at work in you right now, in your situation, in your struggle. He has allowed this challenge because He believes in your resilience in Him. He has equipped you to handle it.
So, rise up. The resistance you feel is the divine friction for your promotion. You are not being punished; you are being prepared, positioned, and promoted. You can handle this, not because of your own strength, but because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.
Walk in that truth today.
https://podcasts.apple.com/za/podcast/the-promotion-in-your-pressure/id1506692775?i=1000738746487
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