Do you ever tire of being tested? They just keep on coming, one after another after another. And just as you prepare and successfully complete one test, there is the next one in front of you, only this test is more difficult than the previous test. And this goes on and on and on.
Richard Bach, author of Jonathan Livingston Seagull was quoted as saying, “Here is the test to find whether your your mission on earth is finished. If you’re alive, it isn’t.” So we each have this challenge before us.
Today I am not referring to the tests of academia, though those tests can be exhausting as well, and maybe even more so…when you have the dreaded…pop quiz. “What pop quiz? Who gives a pop quiz on Friday afternoon? And for that matter, who gives a test on Monday morning, or randomly at any given time of the day or night?”
God does.
Always testing, always looking, always searching…always, always, always.
In our failures we are tested if we will trust Him through the tough times.
In our small achievements if we will remain faithful over the little things.
In our moderate successes if we will remain consistent during plateaus of growth.
In our big time successes if we will remember what and who got us there.
Our faith is tested. Our physical stamina is tested. Our emotional strength is tested. Our integrity is tested.
Job was tested, Moses was tested, David was tested, Jesus was tested. How can we escape such great company? We can not.
And in all this we are not to look by our successes or failures to the approval of those around us. Not at all.
“We are not trying to please men but God, who tests our hearts.” I Thessalonians 2:4
So in these tests, as often as they come, be diligent. And know that as you pass one test the next one will be larger and more difficult for the previous test gave you the confidence, determination and strength to meet the challenge of the new test.
Re-evaluate today some areas where God is testing you. Determine your pass / fail rate in those specific areas. If your fail rate is higher in a particular area, for gosh sakes, go out and get a tutor. A pastor, a counselor, a closely trusted friend, a business leader, even a parent. Find a person who has already passed this particular test. Find the person who has previously gone through what you are now going through. Get their notes on life. They will be glad to share them.
(Authors note. Even as I am writing this post my phone just range and my wife gave me some information and we are presented with, guess what, another test. So how on time is this entry for me today? Right on the money.)
Hope it is for you as well.
Here’s to passing marks which are pleasing to God.
JHH
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