Crushed to Produce the Good Oil: Finding Purpose in Pressure
In Scripture, the process of making olive oil is both beautiful and painful.
Before oil can flow, the olive must be crushed, pressed, and weighted down. It does not release its most valuable substance until pressure is applied.
This physical process becomes a spiritual picture used throughout the Bible. God often works through seasons of pressure, not to destroy His people, but to bring forth what is most precious within them.
Chosen Before the Crushing
The olive is chosen before it is crushed. In the same way, before any pressure ever touches your life, God has already declared you chosen, loved, and set apart.
“You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you.” John 15:16 ESV
Scripture consistently reminds us that God’s calling comes before our suffering. Trials are not evidence of abandonment, but often confirmation of belonging. God does not discover value in us through hardship. He already knows what He has placed within us.
The Oil God Knows Is Within You
God knows there is oil in you. Wisdom, humility, compassion, patience, anointing, and spiritual maturity are often formed under pressure. These qualities rarely emerge in seasons of comfort.
Throughout Scripture, endurance and testing are shown as tools God uses to mature His people. Faith refined through difficulty becomes strong, resilient, and deeply rooted. What is pressed out of a believer in hardship often becomes a blessing to others.
Gethsemane: The Olive Press of Christ
Jesus Himself was crushed in Gethsemane. The very name Gethsemane means olive press. It was no accident that He went there before His crucifixion.
In the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus experienced profound sorrow and spiritual anguish. The weight of what was to come pressed heavily upon Him.
“My soul is very sorrowful, even to death.” Matthew 26:38 ESV
“And he said, ‘Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done.’” Luke 22:42 ESV
Christ was spiritually pressed so that the oil of salvation could flow to us. His obedience under pressure accomplished redemption. Because He was crushed, we can be healed, forgiven, and made whole.
The Purpose of the Pressing
Your crushing has a purpose, and God never wastes pain. While the enemy seeks to use pressure to break faith and produce despair, God uses the pressing to bring blessing, transformation, and testimony.
The pressing refines motives, deepens dependence on the Lord, and produces fruit that could not exist without surrender. What feels unbearable in the moment often becomes sacred ground where God’s presence is most clearly revealed.
When the Oil Begins to Flow
Out of your crushing will come holy and pure oil. Deeper anointing. Compassion for others. Strength you did not know you possessed. A testimony that will shine light into someone else’s darkness.
No crushing lasts forever. Every press has a purpose and a limit. God remains sovereign over both the weight and the duration of the pressure.
When the pressing ends, the oil begins to flow freely. You will see it in your prayers, your worship, your wisdom, your influence, and in your daily walk with the Lord.
The Crushing Ends, but the Oil Remains
The crushing ends, but the oil remains. And in God’s time, the oil will flow freely.
“For his anger is but for a moment, and his favor is for a lifetime. Weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes with the morning.” Psalm 30:5 ESV
A Closing Prayer
Father, thank you for choosing me. When I feel the crushing, help me lean into you and count it joy. May my crushing bring glory to your name and the oil flow out of me for your good and your glory. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Meet the Author
Amy Max
Amy is a Chicago native, wife of 20 years to her favorite pastor, and mother of three awesome kids (ages 16, 13, 10). She loves encouraging women to see God’s hand in everyday moments of life. Amy speaks at women’s events, sharing faith-filled insights to help others walk boldly with God. In-between family adventures, cheering on her kid’s passions, and serving in the local church, she loves to point others to Jesus and the hope we have in Him.
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