Ever used an Instant Pot? You throw in frozen chicken, hit a button, and somehow, within minutes, you’ve got a fully cooked meal. Why? Because pressure speeds up the process. It forces transformation.
But what if the pressure in your life, the stress, the struggles, the situations that feel unbearable, is doing the same thing? What if God isn’t trying to break you but shape you?
In Jonah 2, Jonah is literally “under pressure” in the belly of a fish. He ran from God, got thrown overboard, and now he’s at his lowest point, sinking, helpless, and trapped. And yet, God is still working.
Jonah thought running from God meant freedom, but it only left him stuck. Sound familiar? Maybe you’ve been avoiding that hard conversation, delaying that next step of faith, or drowning yourself in distractions.
Maybe life feels like a never-ending storm, and you’re wondering if God even sees you.
He does. And He’s using the pressure to get your attention.
Jonah finally cries out, and God responds, not with punishment but with pursuit. He lifts Jonah up from the depths, giving him a second chance. The same is true for us. No matter how far we’ve run, no matter how deep we’ve sunk, God’s grace reaches further.
So what if instead of resisting the pressure, you leaned into it? What if, instead of avoiding the hard thing, you trusted that God is using it to transform you?
Maybe today is the day to stop running and start surrendering. Because the pressure isn’t meant to destroy you, it’s meant to refine you.
