A reminder for
today
The Lord tests the righteous and the wicked, And
His soul hates the [malevolent] one who loves violence. (Psalm 11:5)
How was your weekend, my friend? I had to work most of the
weekend and my oldest son is starting his exams today, so it is learn, learn
and learn in our house. He was very nervous when we got to school today,
because the first one is a tough one and one he must pass.
Does God give us exams and must we pass them? When we ask
why God tests us or allows us to be tested, we are admitting that testing does
indeed come from Him. When God tests His children, He does a valuable thing.
David sought God’s testing, asking Him to examine his heart and mind and see
that they were true to Him (Psalm 26:2; 139:23). When Abram was tested by God
in the matter of sacrificing Isaac, Abram obeyed (Hebrews 11:17–19) and showed
to all the world that he is the father of faith (Romans 4:16).
In both the Old and New Testaments, the words translated
“test” mean “to prove by trial.” Therefore, when God tests His children, His
purpose is to prove that our faith is real. Not that God needs to prove it to
Himself since He knows all things, but He is proving to us that our faith is
real, that we are truly His children, and that no trial will overcome our
faith.
The account of Job is a perfect example of God’s allowing
one of His saints to be tested by the devil. Job bore all his trials patiently
and “did not sin by charging God with wrongdoing” (Job 1:22). However, the
account of Job’s testing is proof that Satan’s ability to try us is limited by
God’s sovereign control. No demon can test or afflict us with beyond what God
has ordained. All our trials work toward God’s perfect purpose and our benefit.
There are many examples of the positive results of being
tested. The psalmist likens our testing to being refined like silver (Psalm
66:10). Peter speaks of our faith as “of greater worth than gold,” and that’s
why we “suffer grief in all kinds of trials” (1 Peter 1:6–7). In testing our
faith, God causes us to grow into strong disciples who truly live by faith and
not by what we see (2 Corinthians 5:7).
When we experience the storms of life, we should be like the
tree that digs its roots ever more deeply for a greater grip in the earth. We
must “dig our roots” more deeply into God’s Word and cling to His promises so
we can weather whatever storms come against us.
Most comforting of all, we know that God will never allow us
to be tested beyond what we are able to handle by His power. His grace is sufficient
for us, and His power is made perfect in our weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9).
“That is why,” Paul said, “for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in
insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak,
then I am strong.”
Therefore, we know that our faith is tested on a daily
basis, but we also know that we are able to pass each test for our sake and for
the glory of God. Come with me today as we delight in our trials so that the
world can see our strength is from God.
Lord, guide us through this day and through all the tests
that awaits us. Give us the wisdom to pass each one and to show our faith. In Jesus
name.
Have an awesome day, dear friend of Jesus.
Cheers
