Tag Archives: Do Not Test God

When God Is Mad

Posted in Daily Devotions: Chapter by Chapter by

Goal Weight

Today’s Devotional: Exodus Chapter 33.

What are some things that you get excited about? A big game, concert, date night, achieving your goal weight, finishing a project or a shopping spree? As I was reading Exodus chapter 32 I was thinking, “There must be something wrong with me, I’m so excited about this stuff – I love God’s Word!” I just want to cut/paste this whole chapter into this blog page today and say, “There… God has all kinds of lessons for us. Take it all in.”

There are three main things got my heart going today. The first was verse 3 where God speaks to Moses and says, “Go up to the land flowing with milk and honey. But I will not go with you, because you are a stiff-necked people and I might destroy you on the way.” Oh boy… God is still really mad at the Israelite people for their rebellion and idol worship that we read about in chapter 32.

When someone is mad at you they give you the silent treatment, roll their eyes, turn their cheek/look away or speak in short-snappy phrases? (Can you tell that I have been mad at before?) No fun! There is friction, distance, rejection and belittlement. Spoken from experience, this is not a good place to be. I don’t feel sorry for the Israelites because they disobeyed our Holy God, but can you imagine if someone who is mad at you saying, “I can’t be near you right now, I might have to kill you?” As a believer, I cringe at the thought that God would ever be THAT mad at me.

The 2nd thing that amazed me in this chapter is verse 13. “If you are pleased with me, teach me your ways so I may know you and continue to find favor with you. Remember that this nation is your people.” Moses is asking God to teach Him. I love Moses willingness to learn and eagerness to have a deeper understanding of who God is. That should be our prayer as it says in Psalm 25:4 “Make me know Your ways, O LORD; Teach me Your paths.”

Lastly, verse 15, “Then Moses said to him, ‘If your Presence does not go with us, do not send us up from here.'” Moses is demonstrating his need for God to be with Him wherever he goes. We NEED God with us where ever we go, without Him, you know everything is bound to go bad.

Thank you for taking the time to be a Godly Girlfriend and grow in your relationship with God. We need Him wherever we go and today is no exception. My prayer for you is that you will know God’s ways, feel his presence and that we (I’m not excluded in this one) will not be like those “stiff-necked” Israelites who rebelled against Him.

This Is A Test – Love, God

Posted in Reflections From My Heart by

test

Psalm 119:74-76

New International Version (NIV)

74 May those who fear you rejoice when they see me,
    for I have put my hope in your word.
75 I know, Lord, that your laws are righteous,
    and that in faithfulness you have afflicted me.
76 May your unfailing love be my comfort,
    according to your promise to your servant

Through our Godly Girlfriends Facebook Page, we are reading a chapter a day through the bible. I like this community because it has given me a daily discipline to read my bible and, in all honesty, a track to run on. If you’re like me, I am better off when given some direction with bible study because without it I wander a bit aimlessly through the bible and most often hang out in hope-filled pages of the New Testament. Not that that is a bad thing, but I know – and have known that – the WHOLE bible has application and to limit myself to the New Testament, I’m missing out.

Well let me tell you, I have been missing out BIG TIME! Here we are on Genesis chapter 22 and what God is revealing is far more than I ever bargained for. This past week we have focused on Abraham and I have been very disappointed with Abraham to say the least. Here is a man, chosen of God, and he keeps messing things up. All along I keep thinking, “Dude, you have GOD talking to you!” It’s not like he has to read and study scripture, take a bible study, cross reference the origin of Greek words, dissect various versions and commentaries. He is being talked to by God himself (or angels of the Lord).

Despite all of that, Abraham’s greatest flaw is his disbelief. With all humility, I have concluded that it is mine too (See Dangerous Assumption), but then in Genesis 22, Abraham goes beyond what I would EVER be capable of doing.  This is where Abraham takes his one and only son, Isaac, to offer as a sacrifice. Why does he do it? God tells him too. (GULP!)

Completely symbolic of what God did on the cross with his one and only son, Jesus, but if God tested me – like he tested Abraham – I would surely fail here. Then again, God does test us all the time. The purpose is to prove that our faith is real. Not that God needs to prove it to Himself since He knows all things; rather, He is proving to us that our faith is real, that we are truly His children, and that no trial or test will overcome that faith.

So I share all of this to say that God tests us because he loves us. He sacrificed his OWN son for us. In terms of Abraham’s disbelief, God tested him and he succeeded. Perhaps He’s testing you right now? Tests are not fun, but they do teach. I guess the best way – the only way – is to have faith.