Life is a Test It is only a test God is always testing our Character , Faith, Obedience, Love, Integrity and loyalty and words like trial, temptation, refining, and testing occur more than 200 times in the bible.
We are always being tested by how we respond to people, problems, success, conflict, Illness and disappointment even how we react to waiters and cashiers.
A very important Test is how we react when we can’t feel The Presence of God..
2 Chron.32:31 speaking of Hezekiah, God withdrew from him, in order to test him, that He might know all that was in his heart.
God withdrew from Hezekiah to TEST him that he might know all that was in his heart ; So what will you do when you can’t FEEL God? Will you still serve Him when it seems like He is not around, when the thrill is gone when it’s all work and no play, when you get no recognition when you feel unnoticed and unappreciated, when there is no joy in the morning… when it seems like you’re not even noticed or needed
When We realize that life is a test even the smallest things have significance,The good news is that God wants us to pass all the tests and 1Cor 10:13 Promises that “God will not allow us to be tested with more than we can bare and will always make a way of escape and give us strength to endure every test”.
James 1:12 ; Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.
Another reason why God will not remove some obstacles and trials is to teach us to battle in the Spirit to Grow Us
Judges 3:1-2... These are the nations the LORD left to test all those Israelites who had not experienced any of the wars in Canaan (he did this only to teach warfare to the descendants of the Israelites who had not had previous battle experience):
God wanted His people to be warriors, and the presence of these dangerous neighbors would make it necessary for future generations to know war.He doesn’t want us to die in the Battles, We are to Grow Thru our Battles
Rom 5:3-4 And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience;And patience, experience; and experience, hope:
1 Peter 4:13-19…13 But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.14 If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye; for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you: on their part he is evil spoken of, but on your part he is glorified.
15 But let none of you suffer as a murderer, or as a thief, or as an evildoer, or as a busybody in other men's matters.16 Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God on this behalf.
17 For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?18 And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear?19 Wherefore let them that suffer according to the will of God commit the keeping of their souls to him in well doing, as unto a faithful Creator
Job 7:18 God examines us every morning and tests us Every Moment!
We are always being tested by how we respond to people do we love people, do we use People do we blame our weaknesses on people; we are tested by problems, Our success',failures, conflict, Illness and disappointments
We are Tested by Disillusionment
Disillusionment is the state of being disenchanted or disappointed by unfulfilled expectations.
Prov 13:12 "Hope deferred makes the heart sick: but when the desire cometh, it is a tree of life." Our spouse hasn’t changed yet our kids haven’t got saved yet
A very important Test is how we react when we can’t feel the presence of God..
2 Chron. 32:31b speaking of Hezekiah “God withdrew from him, in order to test him, that He might know all that was in his heart”… Tests reveal what is in our Hearts...
Will you still serve Him( God) when it seems like He is not around, when the thrill is gone when it’s all work and no play……. Will we Still serve Him when we get no recognition when we feel unnoticed and unappreciated, when there is no joy in the morning!
The Test of Obscurity...The "Test of Obscurity" refers to a period of being hidden, unknown, or inconspicuous and Un-Noticed,This is where faith and obedience are tested.
Obscurity, in this context, means being unknown, inconspicuous, or unnoticed, lacking prominence or fame.. The Purpose of Obscurity: Preparation: It allows for personal growth, character development, and the honing of skills and talents. its not a time to pull out the violin and Lick our Wounds…?
Trust and Faith: It can be a test of faith and obedience, requiring us to remain faithful even when our efforts seem unappreciated or unnoticed. ?
Humility: It can keep us Humble and expose any pride.
Divine Timing: It can be a period of waiting for God's timing and direction, recognizing that God may have a larger plan that is not yet apparent.
Moses: Spent 40 years in the desert before leading the Israelites out of Egypt.
David: Was hidden in the shepherd's fields after being anointed king, before being recognized by the people. ?Elijah: Was hidden for three and a half years with a widow and her son in Zarephath. The Apostle Paul waited 3 Years in Hiding before being used By God!?
Jesus: Spent 30 years in obscurity as a carpenter's son before his public ministry.
One of the most difficult things for Christians to deal with is the suffering of the righteous “Good People” and loved ones. I cant tell you how many times people have left God because they prayed that a family member wouldn’t die but they Did !!! ( Pastor Herb Valero)
Ps.34:19, “Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all”....all the heroes of the faith mentioned in Hebrews 11 suffered, including stoning, torture and violent deaths....
1Pe.4:12-13 “Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you; but rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ’s sufferings, that when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy”.
1Pe.1:6-7… Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations: That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:
The Lord wants to plant something in our hearts through all our testings. He wants us to be able to say, “Jesus, you are my protector, and I believe you rule over the events of my life.
If anything happens to me, it’s because You let it and you have a purpose in doing it.and if you allowed it ; than you allowed it for a reason, He has an eternal purpose that Our finite minds will not understand.
Isaiah 55:8-9 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. 9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.
Romans 14:8... For whether we live, we live unto the Lord; and whether we die, we die unto the Lord: whether we live therefore, or die, we are the Lord's."
Phil1:21... For me to live is Christ and to Die is Gain
We are also tested by delayed answers to Our Prayers.
Most of us pray like David did, Ps.102:2 “Do not hide your face from me in the day of my trouble; incline your ear to me; in the day that I call, answer me speedily” Now!
Ps.69:17 “I am in trouble; hear me speedily”. The Hebrew word for “speedily” means, “Right now, hurry up – in the very hour I call on you, do it.”
God is in no hurry. He doesn’t jump at our commands. In fact, at times We may wonder if he will ever answer. We cry out, Weep and Fast, but days go by, weeks, months, even years, and We have not received the slightest evidence that God has heard Us….
Why does God delay answers to sincere prayers?
The answer is found in Luke 18:1: “Then he spoke a parable to them, that men always ought to pray and not lose heart [faint]”. The Greek word for “lose heart” means “relax, become weak or weary in faith, faint, give up the struggle, no longer wait for completion.”
Gal 6:9 “Let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose Heart!
The Lord is seeking a praying people who will not relax or get weary of coming to Him. A people that will wait on Him; and won’t give up until the work is completed. And they will be found waiting when he brings the answer.( Its worth the wait)
Lk 18:8 ... I tell you that he will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, Will HE find faith on the earth?
Sometimes God builds our Faith not by answering our prayers but by delaying the answer to our prayer.
Anybody can believe when answers to prayer are flooding in. But will you still believe after a year, two years, three years? Or when God allows the opposite of what we’ve asked Him for?
For most of us, the hardest part of Faith is the last half hour, when it looks as if God won’t answer. We’re tempted to give up, put it all behind us and go on to something else.
We think we are surrendering to God’s choice not to answer and trust in His sovereign will. We say, “Lord, do what you think is best,” or, “God, you must not have wanted this after all.”
No, that is not what God intends! When you are praying for what is obviously the will of God – Like the Salvation of family members – We have every right to hold on and never give up until Jesus answers......
And Lastly; We are tested by our falls and failings
I do not mean that Christians who fall back into old sins are being tested. No, But Maybe you have taken a fall of some kind – surrendering to anger, lust, unbelief – You gave in for a moment, in spite of all the progress you’ve made in the Lord… If you are being tested in this area, you may ask,Does God still love me?”
Call up musicians.....
Beloved, God still loves You! God puts his loving arms around you and says, “hes just allowing Us to see what is in Our heart.
God Wants all of your heart, and He will allow Us to be tested until He has it all.”
Are you being tested? If so, go to God in Prayer and surrender submit your life to Gods Testing: “The Lord is putting His finger on some areas in Your Life. Pray like David did
Psalm 51:10 .Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me." tell The Lord I don’t want to go backward. Jesus, I want to go forward with you!” I want to pass this test
The Good news is that Its an open Book Test !
