It was my first and last experience with a pneumatic drill, which is a jackhammer with a star bit instead of a chisel bit. We four volunteers were to dig a septic tank for the caretaker's house at a Christian camp. After three feet of digging we hit bedrock--pre-Cambrian limestone. That's when they showed us how to use the drill.
We bored a hole for a dynamite charge to break up the rock. The thunderous blast sent 20-pound chunks of rock a hundred feet into the air, but did not break up the rock far enough down. One young man was boring a new hole while the rest of us jammed prybars into the cracks in the bedrock to lift out chunks broken up by the first blast. That's when it happened.
There was a loud boom. The compressor hose had popped off, and like the sprayer on a loose water hose, it snaked around wildly, showering us with bits of rock. We scrambled out of there as quick as we could. A weak connection made it inevitable that the hose would blow when the pressure was great enough.
Have you ever known anybody who blows up under pressure? Do you? I do too sometimes. But look at Jesus. It wasn't as if He didn't have pressure. Judean midnights are chilly in March or April, yet His sweat was like great drops of blood (Luke 22:44). The pressure was tremendous, but He used all that pressure to propel a great purpose--the redemption of the world-because He tightened the connection. "Father, remove this drink. Father, accomplish Your will over mine. Father, forgive their ignorance of what they are doing. My God, why have your abandoned me? Father, receive my spirit."
What do you do when the pressure of your life builds and builds? Do you tighten your connection with God? Or is that the very time you let go of Him? We will know by whether there comes from you some great achievement--or a loud boom.
Copyright ©2005 Steve Singleton, All rights reserved.
Steve Singleton has written and edited several books and numerous articles on subjects of interest to Bible students. He has taught Greek, Bible, and religious studies courses Bible college, university, and adult education programs. He has taught seminars and workshops in 11 states and the Caribbean.
Go to his DeeperStudy.com for Bible study resources, no matter what your level of expertise. Explore "The Shallows," plumb "The Depths," or use the well-organized "Study Links" for original sources in English translation. Sign up for Steve's free "DeeperStudy Newsletter."
The news came as a shock to us all. He... Read More
Before we are able to use the Universal Thought System... Read More
Yesterday I was but a child, looking. Looking ahead at... Read More
Life is perfect. If you have read these articles long... Read More
Did you ever wonder how you ended up where you... Read More
Are you looking for the meaning of life?You work all... Read More
Keeping a journal during the coaching process is one of... Read More
I looked at my father for the last time before... Read More
Over my extended Thanksgiving weekend I took some time to... Read More
Direct Answers - Column for the week of December 1,... Read More
Why is it so difficult to hold steadfast to a... Read More
Direct Answers - Column for the week of September 30,... Read More
Some people live in and talk about the past so... Read More
Besides your daily feelings, thoughts, and experiences journal, there are... Read More
Whenever we are working on our dreams we are going... Read More
How strong are you? I'm not asking if you... Read More
The massive orb dominates the aqua crystalline backdrop of its... Read More
"Without health, life is not life; it is only a... Read More
The world is perfect the way it is. The world... Read More
We all have those moments, don't we? We're right in... Read More
Goal Setting and Relationships?That is not as weird as it... Read More
I wish that I could tell every person that I... Read More
I have been a business owner for about a minute.... Read More
Have you ever listened to self hypnosis tapes? Or listened... Read More
I thought you might enjoy reading a professional article I... Read More
Some people dismiss dreams as nonsense, thought patterns running amuck... Read More
Humanity seems to be the only species that never seems... Read More
Laws of the Attraction notwithstanding, there are several external ways... Read More
When I was 12 years old, I had surgery with... Read More
"You cannot control what happens to you, but you can... Read More
I just got back from Colorado where I spent a... Read More
First, let me share a quote from Ashlee Simpson's latest... Read More
It's interesting how we intellectually know that tomorrow will be... Read More
So who is Dr Robert Anthony?He is the best-selling author... Read More
Over the years as I've sought out ideas, principles and... Read More
I was eight years old, over four decades ago and... Read More
Here's something you can do each day that will REALLY... Read More
I AM SO GRATEFUL for the time to smell the... Read More
In a recent disaster, a man was asked why he... Read More
Oh, this is a great topic! I remember when I... Read More
Exploring beneath the surface of a reoccurring relationship issue can... Read More
Direct Answers - Column for the week of February 9,... Read More
Direct Answers - Column for the week of December 6,... Read More
Direct Answers - Column for the week of September 29,... Read More
"Welcome to Canada," Ken shouted to me over the roar... Read More
The massive orb dominates the aqua crystalline backdrop of its... Read More
No, this isn't going to be a sermon or anything... Read More
The problem with waiting until tomorrow is that when it... Read More
More things I've noticed along the way:* Our son's birthday... Read More
A second on your lips forever on your hips never... Read More
Inspirational Inspirational |