In pressure thou hast enlarged me
William MacDonald teaches that through trials and pressures, believers are spiritually enlarged and refined, producing lasting character and godly patience.
In this devotional sermon, William MacDonald explores the spiritual benefits of trials and pressures in the Christian life. Drawing from Scripture and the testimonies of notable believers like Spurgeon, he reveals how God uses hardships to enlarge our faith, develop patience, and produce lasting character. Listeners are encouraged to embrace difficulties as divine tools for growth and maturity.
Text
“In pressure thou hast enlarged me.” (Psa. 4:1 Darby)
It is true that “calm seas never made a sailor.” It is through tribulation that we develop patience. It is through pressure that we are enlarged.
Even men of the world have realized that difficulties have educative and broadening values. Charles Kettering once said, “Problems are the price of progress. Don’t bring me anything but problems. Good news weakens me.”
But especially from the Christian world come testimonies to the profit derived from trials.
We read, for instance, “To suffer passes, but to have suffered endures for eternity.”
The poet adds this confirmation:
And many a rapturous minstrel among those sons of light
Will say of his sweetest music, “I learnt it in the night;”
And many a rolling anthem that fills the Father’s home
Sobbed out its first rehearsal in the shade of a darkened room.
Spurgeon wrote, in his inimitable way:
“I am afraid that all the grace I have got out of my comfortable and easy times and happy hours might almost lie on a penny. But the good I have received from my sorrows and pains and griefs is altogether incalculable. What do I not owe to the hammer and the file? Affliction is the best bit of furniture in my house.”
And yet why should we be surprised? Does not the unnamed writer to the Hebrews tell us, “Now obviously no ‘chastening’ seems pleasant at the time: it is in fact most unpleasant. Yet when it is all over we can see that it has quietly produced the fruit of real goodness in the character of those who have accepted it” (Heb. 12:11, Phillips).
Sermon Outline
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I. The Value of Pressure
- Pressure produces enlargement and growth
- Even worldly men recognize the value of problems
- Difficulties educate and broaden our character
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II. Biblical Testimonies on Trials
- Suffering produces eternal endurance
- Poetic and spiritual reflections on learning through darkness
- Spurgeon's testimony on grace through affliction
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III. The Purpose of Divine Chastening
- Chastening is unpleasant but produces goodness
- God’s discipline refines character
- Endurance through trials leads to spiritual maturity
Key Quotes
“In pressure thou hast enlarged me.” — William MacDonald
“Problems are the price of progress. Don’t bring me anything but problems. Good news weakens me.” — William MacDonald
“Affliction is the best bit of furniture in my house.” — William MacDonald
Application Points
- View difficulties as opportunities for spiritual enlargement rather than setbacks.
- Embrace God's discipline as a loving process that produces lasting goodness.
- Develop patience by trusting God through times of pressure and suffering.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does God allow pressure and trials in our lives?
God uses pressure and trials to develop patience, refine our character, and produce lasting spiritual growth.
How can suffering be profitable for a Christian?
Suffering teaches endurance and produces fruit of goodness that endures eternally, shaping us into Christlikeness.
What does the Bible say about chastening?
Hebrews 12:11 explains that chastening is unpleasant but ultimately yields peaceful fruit of righteousness to those trained by it.
Can trials be seen as a form of God's grace?
Yes, as Spurgeon noted, the grace received through affliction is often greater than that from comfortable times.