May 5th, 2020 – Morning Devotion With Pastor Dan
Do you remember those school days when the teachers would give you the dreaded test that you procrastinated in studying for? Or maybe it was the surprise quiz when you arrived in class that everybody was not fond of. Either way, would you agree that tests are not fun.
Are you ready for this? God tests us too. But it’s always an open-Book test. With the help of God’s instruction Book — the Bible — we can always pass the test. That would have been much better in my school days for sure, but today as a Christian I am glad God does it this way.
(1 Thessalonians 2:4 – NKJV)…..even so we speak, not as pleasing men, but God who tests our hearts.
God never tests us to hurt us, but so we can grow, so we can see what’s in our heart, and ultimately experience victory. In all schooling there is testing to determine whether the material taught has been mastered. Testing is necessary and even beneficial for the one being tested. We may think we are ready to graduate — but testing confronts us with reality. Testing lets us know how we are doing. If we are not doing so well, we need to turn to God, asking for His help. Spend more time in God’s Word and in prayer.
Remember that God’s tests are different than the temptations of the devil. God’s test is to see if we will trust Him and to see if we will act on His Word. God never tempts us to do wrong! He never uses evil to test us (James 1:13). God just allows us to overcome evil by acting on His Word — which is more than enough to put us over the finish line.
We should always stand in faith, resisting the devil. God’s Word always works — but not always instantly. From when we take our stand on God’s Word to when the answer manifests, constitutes the test. Remember, God is for us — He’s on our side.
Take a few moments and read (Deuteronomy 8:1-6). Have a blessed day!