BIBLE PASSAGE:
Test me, Lord, and try me, examine my heart and my mind;
for I have always been mindful of your unfailing love
and have lived in reliance on your faithfulness.
(Psalm 26:2-3)
MEDITATION:
Before automobile manufacturers release their autos to be sold,
they want to make sure their vehicles are safe to drive.
For quality control, they run the first few cars through a ‘proving ground’ where
they drive them hundreds of miles over rough roads and through water and heat,
screeching, turning, twisting, hitting the brakes, and accelerating to top speeds.
This is how they confirm the automobile will stand the tests.
It is the same with our spiritual lives.
God gives the test first, and the lesson afterwards.
Throughout the scriptures we can find this is true.
Joseph was tested. David was tested. Moses was tested. Peter was tested.
When God gets ready to prove us, He is not
going to test us in the good times, because that is not a good test.
Anybody can serve God in the sunshine, but our true
commitment and perseverance shows when times are tough.
The test is not how we behave when there is victory all around;
the test is how we behave when God brings us to the wilderness.
He wants us to know what is in our hearts.
He wants us to know if we are fully devoted to God.
Have you ever felt that you are not receiving God’s blessings?
If so, then it could be that you have too much pride (which God says He HATES).
In fact, out of the seven things listed that He hates, pride is number ONE.
Have you ever noticed that some people are actually proud of their humbleness?
Doesn’t sound very humble, does it?
An evangelist once said,
“God sends no one away empty except those who are full of themselves”.
If God hates something that is a part of our life, then more than likely He
will withhold His blessings until the issue has been resolved.
Not only should we ask the Lord to examine our lives,
but we need to examine ourselves as well.
As our faith increases, we become more dependent on the Lord.
ACTION:
If you are a follower of Christ, you know that you will be tested.
It is not a test used to discourage you, but rather a test to create confidence.
If you are never tested,
then you can only assume how your faith will carry you through difficult times.
However, when you are tested, you know the sincerity and strength of your faith.
Pray,
“Heavenly Father, when I am tested, help me to not only maintain my
faith, but to increase it. Instill in me a greater confidence that my faith
in You will help me to cope with any and all situations. Create in me a
desire to rely on my faith to guide and assist me in serving You. Expose
to me any areas of pride in my life that hinder me from pleasing You.”
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