Wheat Sifting

As I was listening to one of the segments in the Believing God series this morning, there were some things that really struck me. She referenced Luke 22:31-31.

::"Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to have all of you, to sift you like wheat. But I have pleaded in prayer for you, Simon, that your faith should not fail. So when you have repented and turned to me again, strengthen and build up your brothers."

It seems that God let the sifting happen with Simon, because God knew that the end product with in Simon would be greater than if he hadn't gone through the tough time.And once he repented and turned back to Christ, he would be able to strengthen and build up other people.

One thing that Beth Moore said was "God will never give the enemey permission to sift us like wheat unless we have something that needs sifting."

If we go through that sifting period then there is something that God wants to deal with inside of us so that He can move us on to greater things. He wants us to let go of certain things that would hold us back (ie. pride, victim mentality, bitterness, offense, sexual imorality etc), so that He can move us in the amazing purpose He has for us.

The word sift in the greek is siniazo which means to sift, shake in a sieve, fig. by inward agitation to try one's faith to the verge of overthrow

WOW.... If this meaning of sift doesn't describe what I have been going through in the past few months I dont know what does. It has been hard time in my life but I am encouraged, because that means that God is bringing things to the surface that need to be dealt with so He can bring me into His awesome purpose for my life. This makes me so thankful that God loves me so much that He doesn't want me life my whole life struggling with all this, but he wants me to shed all of that. I would rather live free and in God's purpose than to carry all that extra baggage HE wants me to let go of.

Another way to look at it....is to look at an open wound...you know the kind from when you scraped your knee when you were a kid. Remember how your mom or dad would put hydrogen peroxide on it and all the impurities would bubble to the top. So the process of cleaning all that out was painful but necessary for the wound to heal. That is what God does with us. He wants to use us, but wants to clean some stuff out first that would hinder us moving forward later. He doesn't want us to live in pain, but to live free and whole.

The best part about that scripture is that Jesus said, "I will plead in prayer for you, that your faith will not fail." so that means that while we go through that uncomfortable but necessary process, that Jesus is praying for us that our faith will not fail. That also means that he hasn't left us hanging and He knows EXACTLY what is going on, even though in those times it feels like it.

So if you are going through something like that now, know that God hasn't left you, but is there praying for you. AND most importantly don't fight the process, submit everything to God. There is no way you can do it in your own strength (believe me, I've tried), but trusting God and declaring scripture will get you through it. :)