Tag Archives: God Tests Us

Stand Up For Yourself

Posted in Daily Devotions: Chapter by Chapter by

Walked on

Today’s Devotion: Deuteronomy 13

I remember my parents used to say, “So if your friends jumped off of a bridge does that mean you will too?”

I don’t remember the context anymore, but I’m sure I did something wrong and justified my actions with, “…But my friends did it!”

As a finale, in the disapproval of this excuse, they would say, “Well why don’t you stand up for yourself, don’t let people walk all over you!”

Deuteronomy 13:3 has something to say about following others, namely prophets and dreamers. “You must not listen to the words of that prophet or dreamer. The LORD your God is testing you to find out whether you love him with all your heart and with all your soul.”

In his commentary, John MacArthur, says, “God, in His sovereignty, allowed the false prophets to entice the people toward apostasy to test the true disposition of the Israelites’ hearts. And while the temptation was dangerous, the overcoming of that temptation would strengthen the people in their love for God and obedience to His commandments.”

It’s a test. God is testing their hearts and if they have the courage to stand up for themselves, it strengthens their love for God and gives them confidence to be obedience to His commandments. I think this concept is incredible… hard to do, but incredible.

Just yesterday I found an article about Natalie Grant and posted it on our Godly Girlfriends Facebook Page last night. The article explains how she left the Grammy Awards – She took a stand. Not a belligerent, holier than thou, in-your-face-for-Christ type of stand. She left in a subtle way… she was guarding her heart and her mind (Philippians 4:7) and taking her thoughts captive. (2 Corinthians 10:5). She passed the test!

I had the privilege of meeting Natalie at a Women Of Faith Conference on my 40th Birthday and have always admired her singing talent. Now I admire her for her courage to model Jesus in an environment void of any morality. This leads me to ask the question, “Will I take a stand for Christ? Will God test me to find out if I love Him with all of my heart and soul?” Just like our Godly Girlfriend, Natalie, I hope we all have the courage to stand firm in our faith. (1 Corinthians 16:13).

Meeting Natalie

Thank you Natalie for being an example for us to follow.

God Wants Your Attention

Posted in Daily Devotions: Chapter by Chapter by

Attention Please!

Today’s Devotion: Deuteronomy 8

God says in verse 2, “Remember how the LORD your God led you all the way in the wilderness these forty years, to humble and test you in order to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep his commands.”

Why does God lead us all the way through life? To humble and test us and know what is in our hearts and whether or not we would keep his commands.

The wilderness journey and wilderness march that Moses led is symbolic of the Christian life. Is there a Christian out there that disagrees with this statement? I’m in my early forties and I can tell you that I can look back over the last forty years and see the presence of God; I can even remember those years without the presence of God. Those years bring about the greatest humility in me because it realized God still loved me and cared about me end when I didn’t know Him and (honesty) was too self-absorbed to care about Him.

We also know that keeping His commands are impossible due to our sin, but we desire to keep His commands because of what He has done for us; His grace and mercy – unmerited favor. So if God is testing us by whether or not we keep His commands (or our desire to), that should get our attention. It sure does mine!

Nobody likes tests. I am especially anxious about tests. You can give me an auditorium filled with thousands of people and I can give a speech that will have them laughing, crying, clapping, or silent to the sound of a pin drop, but palease don’t sit me down in front of a multiple choice exam. I sweat like a baby and toil over every word.

God tests for authenticity. He already knows what’s in our hearts, He simply wants us to know what is in our hearts. In my opinion, marriage is the greatest area of God’s testing and forces me (daily) to evaluate my heart. When you’re married, it’s not about you anymore. God does some incredible revealing of what is in our hearts once you have taken a vow to have and to hold from that day forward.

All in all, this is for our good. When God makes us aware of what is in our hearts, it brings about perspectives. You’ve heard the phrase, “You can’t see the forest through the trees.” The Christian life can be that way. We can see what is in our own hearts if you are always looking outwardly at others.

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.