Be a Product of Pressing

We can never fathom the agony of Gethsemane, but at least we need not misunderstand it.

-Oswald Chambers

The Hebrew word for Gethsemane literally means, oil press. The garden was an olive grove, people would use the olives to make oil for cooking and light. Another thing comes to mind when thinking of oil, anointing.

When David was chosen to be the king of Israel he was anointed with oil as an outward expression of his inward potential. However, it was not until after he killed Goliath, and avoided being killed and not killing Saul that he was made the king of Israel. David's anointing was released through obedience to God and his response to difficult situations.

I think it is interesting that the setting of Jesus' most intense questioning of God's will was in an oil press. In his intense obedience to the will of God even to death on the cross he truly showed the world that he was the Christ, the anointed one.

In our struggles in life and questioning of God's will, I would suggest to you that we are in an oil press. Our struggles "press" us, and this pressing allows a release of anointing. It is through our obedience to God's will and our response to difficulty that release the anointing in our lives.