I woke up this morning, and the first thing to pop into my mind was:
“Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift you as wheat.” – Luke 22:31 (NIV)
I found that a curious thing to pop into my head first thing when I woke up.
But then again, I did just grind our home-grown wheat into flour yesterday afternoon and make bread. So all last night in my sleep I was dreaming about grinding wheat into flour.
I’ve been pondering on that verse all morning.
When Jesus explained to his disciples that he would suffer, be rejected, and be put to death, but then be raised back to life … he tied that directly to his followers suffering as well.
* “Jesus said, ‘The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life.’ Then he said to them all: ‘If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.’”
– Luke 9:23
I couldn’t help thinking of this passage:
* “We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.” – 2 Corinthians 4:8
If we are a follower of Jesus Christ, we will likewise suffer and be rejected just as Jesus Christ suffered and was rejected.
If we are a follower of Jesus Christ, Satan will likewise desire to crush us like wheat in a grinder as well!
But then, the second half of the verse popped into my mind:
“Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for you.” – Luke 22:32
Wow! That is powerful!
Jesus was praying for Peter!
Satan was desiring to crush Peter like wheat in a grinder!! And Jesus prayed for Peter!
In looking at several different translations of Luke 22:31, the detail stood out to me that although Satan desires to crush! (like wheat in a grinder!) … he has no power or authority to do so. He must ask permission.
* “Simon, Simon, behold, Satan has desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat.”
– Luke 22:31 (KJV)
* “Simon, Simon, behold, Satan has demanded permission to sift you like wheat.”
– Luke 22:31 (NASB)
If you are a follower of Jesus Christ … you belong to Jesus! You belong to God! You are held in God’s hand! And nothing can touch you there, without the divine will of God.
* Jesus said: “No one can snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand.” – John 10:28-29
Satan might desire to crush you like wheat in a grinder! … but you are held securely in God’s hand!
* “He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the LORD, ‘He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.’ Surely he will save you … He will cover you.” – Psalm 91:1-4
Not only are you held securely in God’s hand … but just like Jesus prayed for Peter … so also, Jesus has prayed for you too!
* “I pray for them. … Holy Father, protect them by the power of your name. … As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world. … My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message.” – John 17:9-20
Not only are you held securely in God’s hand! … and not only has Jesus himself prayed for you … but the Holy Spirit prays for you too!
* “The Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God’s will.” – Romans 8:26-27
Yesterday afternoon, as I was working in my kitchen grinding wheat into flour and making bread … I was listening to an online sermon. It was perhaps one of the best sermons I’ve ever heard over the passage of the Feeding of the 5,000 (from Matthew 14:13-36).
Although I had already listened to this sermon a few days ago, it was so impactful I just had to listen to it again as I was making bread.
(as an aside, if you are interested the link is: TOV Church – Leading People To Jesus & Loving People Like Jesus – Messages The sermon title is: “Put it in the Hands of Jesus.”)
The end of the sermon covers a storm. After the amazing miracle of God’s provision … there was a storm!
Pastor Frank pointed out that it was Jesus himself who instructed the disciples to get into the boat and head on across the Sea. Being God, and knowing a storm was coming … Jesus sent his disciples into the storm. They were in the storm by the will of God!
Not only that … Jesus saw them in the storm. Mark 6:48 states: “He saw the disciples straining at the oars, because the wind was against them.”
And Jesus came walking to them in the storm. Jesus came walking on the very thing they were afraid of.
Today’s blog post is pondering the thought of, as a follower of Jesus Christ, being “sifted” [aka: crushed in a wheat grinder!] like wheat.
* Satan desires to crush us in a wheat grinder! But he has no power or authority to do so, apart from the permission of God.
* If we are a follower of Jesus Christ, we will suffer … we will feel “crushed” at times. And just like the disciples in the storm … we will go through “storms” in life!
* Just like Jesus saw the disciples in the storm, so also Jesus sees us in our “crushing” and in our “storm.” Jesus has prayed for us! The Holy Spirit is praying for us!
* Just like Jesus came walking to the disciples on the very “storm” they had been afraid of … so also Jesus will come to us in our “storm.” Jesus will rescue us in our “crushing.” We are held securely in God’s hand!
“Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name; you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze. For I am the LORD, your God. … you are precious and honored in my sight, I love you. … do not be afraid, for I am with you.” – Isaiah 43:1-5
