Luke 22:31-32 (NKJV)
And the Lord said, “Simon, Simon! Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail; and when you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethren.”
I'm in a process...doesn't feel good yet I know it's for my good. I'm in my season of "sifting". Do you remember when our grandmothers would sift flour through strainers or sieves. You now, those devices that were created to separate the fine from the coarse, the lumps from the smooth. I sure remember them, I have a few of them myself. I can remember my grandmother placing the flour in the sieve and shaking it rather hard as the fine flour slipped into a beautiful heap into their destined place. The lumpy flour seemed to be adamant about not going through the process of being sifted. Sometimes my grandmother would take those stubborn lumps of flour, get her rolling pin , and with such force and determination roll over those lumps until they were smooth. I can still remember those smooth lumps as though it was yesterday and although those lumps had an appearance of "smooth" about them, they weren't as "fine" as the sifted flour.
This morning as I prayed and talked to the Lord through the language of my tears, I realized the pain I'm experiencing is coming from the sieve of separation. I'm being sifted and the movements of being shaken is causing friction to form as the lump of my flesh rubs violently against the fineness of my spirit. Wow...God is the potter and we are the clay and He shapes a vessel according to His blueprint and not the plans of man. He's removing the impurities from us, refining us for His glory.Each round of “sifting” reveals the things that must be removed for purpose to rise. Hidden sins, cover up's, wrong mindsets, connections that fit our flesh but not our spirits and so many other things can become lumps to us, in us and through us.Some lumps are hard to see with the naked eye, but it's still a lump and it's still there. All lumps are not huge and notable screaming, "Here I am"! Some lumps are as small as pebbles and pin heads, yet their power to cause you to fall is great. They know how to position themselves inside the cracks of your soul, derailing your rising by causing you to sink inside of yourself.
Even as I'm blogging this morning, I understand it more...the process of sifting is necessary in the making of who we are. It's a form of consecration to manifest the purest parts of us which can only be found in Christ. So anything in us that's contrary to the "fineness" of Christ, has to be sifted to birth His true image as He is being formed in us.Consecration, that constant process of being sifted through prayer, studying His word, fasting and deliverance of the impurities that are hindering the Spirit of God from fully activating in our lives is necessary for purpose.Sifting will add the characteristics of God and mix His Power with our purpose. Sifting makes flour lighter. Air is added as the clumps of flour are broken down. Sifting a human soul adds God’s Spirit to every particle of our being. Our burdens become lighter as our yoke becomes His. Suddenly, success begins to overcome failures. Victory shines in the life of those who submit to the process of consecration and allows God to become a part of every aspect of their life. Finely distributing the qualities and characteristics of Jesus Christ throughout our daily existence empowers us to rise above the chains that bind us to the earth and live as a part of the Kingdom of God. It mixes all of who He is into what He has called us to be illuminating our Promise, binding Him to our Purpose and exposing our great potential. Sifting strains whatever has been submitted to the process. Do not hang on to what you think life was supposed to be like or who you thought you would be. It will not survive the process and the sooner you let it go, the sooner success will be yours. Anything that is sifted is broken…even people. God desires it. (Psalm 34:18) In fact, those who are in the midst of this process are closer to the Lord than one may realize. God is drawn to your insufficiency and weakness. It makes room for His Spirit.
Well, right now in this moment, I choose to surrender to the process of sifting. I yield myself because I know I can rest in this sieve place. Yes, I'm being shaken, Yes, I'm being separated as the wheat is being removed from the chaff, Yes I'm being cut from soul ties and mended with divine connections, Yes it hurts, Yes there are tears as the friction of who I am wars with who I am to be, Yes in all of these things....but somewhere deep inside my spirit I hear a greater Yes in the faintest of voice speak, "Sift me"! Today I encourage you to submit and surrender to your process so that you won't be "self-rising" but "all-purpose" flour.
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