Bruised Corn

One of the most beautiful sights in nature is a bounteous field of ripening golden corn, waving tall and rustling in the wind. But the time must come when it needs to be harvested or sickled, dried, and “bruised”. In some of the obscure whitewashed villages of Greece today, the women sing as they grind the corn, between the millstones, and the sound of the traditional millstones is music in the ears of God.

This practice, as well is still carried out in the East and parts of Africa. People of the world do think it as being quaint, picturesque music, but the saint who is being “bruised” and made into bread knows that his or her Father knows best, and that He would never allow the suffering if He had not some real purpose.

HI tempered people, opposition, difficult circumstances, sickness, poverty, willful misunderstandings, alienation (separation) with subsequent indifference, hostility, loss of affection and interest, unrest, rebellion, are all millstones.

Had our Saviour, Jesus, any or these things in his life? Yes! He had a devil in His company for three years! He lived at home with brothers and sisters who didn’t believe Him. He was continually hindered, obstructed, attacked and misunderstood by the Pharisees, and He says, “a disciple is not above His teacher”. (Math. 10:25).

If we have even the tiniest element of self-pity in our character, we say, “oh, God dare not put us anywhere near the grinding millstones.” When these experiences come into your troubled lives, remember, God has His eyes on every single detail. Now we can see why our Lord lived the life He did for thirty-three tender years. Before He made the entrance into that life possible for any human being, He had to show us what the life of God’s normal person was like. The life of Jesus is the life we have to live here, and not the hereafter. There is no chance to live this kind of life hereafter. We have to live it here and now.

Many of us cannot be used to become feed for the world’s hungry until we are broken in Christ’s hands. Christ’s blessing often means “crushing” sorrow, but even sorrow is not too great a price to pay for the privilege of touching other lives with benediction… with blessings. The sweetest things in this world come to us through heartbroken tears and soul-racking pain. God has made us bread for His elect, and if it be needful that the bread must be ground in the teeth of the lion to feed his children, blessed be the name of the Lord.

We must burn out before we can give out. We stop blessing when we stop bleeding. Poverty, hardship, misfortune, have bruised and proceed many a life of moral heroism and spiritual greatness. Where there is difficulty, it challenges energy and patience. It, furthermore, brings the strongest qualities of the soul to the surface. I have an old “grandfather’s clock”, that once belonged to one of our late pioneer brethren in California of America; it’s the “weights” that keep it going, and still going today.

Many a head wind in the heartless seas of Greece has been used to help a rolling ship get safely into port. God has appointed, selected, opposition as an incentive to faith and holy activity. Ever notice that? The most outstanding characters in the Bible were “bruised” and “threshed” and “ground” into bread, for the hungry.

Abraham, called the “father of the faithful”, earned his title, because he stood at the top for affliction and obedience. Joseph suffered severe “threshings” and “grindings”. Joseph was “bruised” and beaten and had to go through Potiphar’s kitchen and Egypt’s prison to get to his throne. David, hunted like an animal on the mountain, “bruised”, weary, and tired (footsore), was “ground” into bread for a kingdom. Apostle Paul could never have been bread for Caesar’s household if he had not endured the “bruising”, whippings, and stonings. He was ground into fine flour for the royal family.

Like combat, like victory! If for you He has appointed special trials, be assured that in His heart He has kept for you a special place. A soul sorely “bruised” is a soul elect! A soul chosen for salvation and eternal life.

“And then shall He send His angels, and shall gather together His elect from the four winds, from the uttermost part of the earth to the uttermost part of heaven.” Mark 13:17.

There will soon be a rejoicing of the saints, as we are fast approaching that glorious day. “Rejoice over her, thou heaven, and ye holy apostles and prophets; for God hath avenged you on her. And a mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone, and cast it into the sea, saying, Thus with violence shall that great city Babylon be thrown down, and shall be found no more at all… And the voice of harpers, and musicians, and of pipers, and trumpeters, shall be heard no more at all in thee… And the sound of a millstone shall be heard no more at all in thee.” Rev. 18:20, 21, 22.

May you distinctly hear the soothing sound of the millstone as it faithfully turns in your spiritual life.
Remember, even if you are “bruised from time to time or now and then, that again it will be grist for your mill.
AMEN

John Theodorou
Athens, Greece