James 1:2-4 “My
brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials,
knowing that the testing of your faith
produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work,
that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.”
This week Michael writes: The
Lord gives and the Lord takes away. Blessed be the name of the Lord. God's
thoughts are higher than our thoughts and His ways than our ways. Tests in
this life are inevitable. A test is to put through a critical examination,
observation, or evaluation to determine what is true, present, and real. A
trial is given to diagnose. When we put our hands to the plow as fellow
laborers with our Lord, the tests of faith will reveal His truth in us. At
times we may not understand the purpose of the test. Jesus himself faced a
tough test in the garden of Gethsemane. He asked His Father to remove the
"cup" of separation, sin and death. However God answered three times,
"no." Jesus came to the conclusion, "Not my will but thine be done." Hebrews 2:12 reveals the answer to
Jesus' prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane: “Looking
unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set
before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right
hand of the throne of God.” Jesus aligned His will with his Father's
will. He endured the cross with joy for your salvation and mine.
Hebrews 11:1 "Faith
is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not
seen."
Jesus once marveled at the
faith of the Roman centurion who believed for his daughter's healing, Jesus
said, "I have seen no greater faith,
no not in Israel." God's "hall of faith" in Hebrews 11
exemplifies believers who passed the tests.
Jesus said in John 15, "I am the vine, you are the branches. Apart
from me you can do nothing", including without our Lord we cannot
survive the slings, arrows, and fiery darts of the "wicked one." Even
though we may not understand the purpose of God's test, we can trust God's
heart. During times of trial, God will teach us that "this is our finest
hour." The true purpose of life will be revealed through the trials
of life. If power, success, fame, reputation, and wealth are our goal, they
will take wings and fly away because they are temporal. The test will reveal
that which we value in life.
When Paul asked God to
remove his "thorn in the flesh" God answered "no" three
times. The third time God answered Paul’s prayer when Paul understood that
"thy strength is made perfect in my
weakness, thy grace is sufficient for me." When God led Israel to the Promised
Land, there were "giants in the land." Ten of Israel's twelve
spies said that they are too big for us and we can't fight them. However,
Joshua and Caleb said that we can defeat them in God's power.
Let's continue Michael's message on the testing of our faith in the next post.
In Christ, Brian
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