Everything is a Test

It's been over a week since I've posted and I'm tired now, about to go to bed so this post won't have as many scriptures cited so you'll have to do the bible searches that back this stuff up for yourselves this time. I gave two citations at the end :-)

You could say that life is a test. Our faith is certainly tested by the Lord. I think its fair to say that almost everything of any significance in our life is a test.

When you are experiencing great success, that is a test. Look at the Israelites, when things started going well, they forgot the Lord. Think that happens with people today? You bet it does.

When things are going poorly for you, when you are hitting walls at every turn, that's a test too. Some people who cling to the Lord during sucess, fall away when things aren't going well for them. Failure is as much a test as success and the bible is full of examples of both these circumstances.

When the Lord is near to you and you are experiencing joy, just wait, the test is coming. We all have times when we ask, "hey Lord, where did you go?" It feels like the Lord is miles away. You haven't heard anything from him for days, maybe weeks or even months. What do you think that is? Has the Lord abandoned you? We know He will never leave us or forsake us, so what's the deal? Can you guess? If you guessed "its a test!" then you guessed right. Will our faith fail us when the Lord decides to test us with His silence?

Just about everything that means anything in this life is some kind of test. I am telling you this after a period of silence from the Lord with me :-). After the silence, what's the first thing I hear Him say to me? Well, you are reading it in this post right now.

Life is a test. We are being tested day by day. We will be tested until we are out of these earthen vessels and clothed with our heavenly bodies. This calls for patience, for faith, for endurance, for love, for perseverance. Let us not fail the test. Let's remember the rewards set before us and remember that any day could be our last on this earth.

I will leave you with these two scriptures, there are many more that make the points you read above:

1 Peter 1:7 These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold--though your faith is far more precious than mere gold.

1 Peter 4:12 Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you. 13But rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed.

time for bed, grace and peace