Series: Still Unfinished , Champions Rising in the Midst of Pain

Life often feels unbearable when we are crushed under trials, losses, or betrayal. The pain can be so sharp that we question whether God is near. I remember seasons just before and after David’s passing when life pressed in on me from every side. Responsibilities as a mother, the weight of immigration challenges, and personal disappointments piled on like unrelenting waves. I wondered how anyone could endure such crushing pressure without breaking entirely.

One quiet evening, feeling the weight of exhaustion and sorrow, I stumbled upon 2 Corinthians 1:8–9:

“We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired of life itself. Indeed, we felt we had received the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead.”

The words hit me with clarity. Crushing is not the absence of God, it is the presence of His refining power. God allows pressure not to destroy, but to produce anointing, endurance, and intimacy with Him that cannot be gained any other way.

I recalled moments in my life when disappointment struck , when ministry doors closed, friends left ,health challenges persisted. I wanted to run, hide, or give up. But God, in His tender mercy, never left me there. Each crushing experience became the seedbed for anointing I could never earn through ease.

Through pain, I learned:

• The anointing of God often flows most powerfully through the cracks of our brokenness.
  
• Suffering teaches perseverance, humility and a deeper dependence on God.
  
• What the enemy intended for harm, God transforms into strength and divine favor.
  

Psalm 23:5 suddenly resonated in a new way:

“You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.”

I realized my overflowing life,the ministry, the writing, the prayer, the counsel I now give others,was not built on ease, but on the refining experiences of my heart. The crushing moments became the altar of God’s power in my life.

Even in grief and uncertainty, the anointing of God rises in us when we choose faith over fear, obedience over rebellion, and trust over despair. Each trial becomes a testimony, each wound a doorway to greater spiritual depth.

Life Lessons

• Crushing is often preparation for overflowing.
  
• Pain is not punishment; it is refining.
  
• Anointing and intimacy with God grow strongest in seasons of surrender.
  
• God uses trials to cultivate endurance, faith, and purpose.
  

Reflection Questions

• What areas of your life feel crushed today?
  
• How can you surrender your pain to God instead of resisting it?
  
• What anointing or strength might God be producing through your trials?
  

Prayer

Lord, I lay my crushed heart before You. Transform my pain into power, my suffering into purpose, and my brokenness into Your glory. Teach me to trust You when I cannot see the outcome. May my life overflow with the anointing born from these trials, for Your name’s sake. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Final Declaration

What the enemy intended to break me, God uses to anoint me.
My pain will become a conduit of His glory. ✨

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