Testing
If we are a follower of Christ Jesus we will be tested! No not might be, WILL BE tested.
Our determination to follow Christ and please our Savior will set the outcome In Victory or in failure. This is an issue of our will, our integrity, and our love. I either am who I say I am, or I am not! Like the Church of Laodicea I cannot afford to be lukewarm lest I be spat from my Fathers mouth.
I think often the true weight of the verse concerning the church at Laodicea is not understood. Of course this is told to us in the book of Revelation, but to truly realize the magnitude we must first understand what we were told in Genesis.
God’s word teaches us that God formed Adam from the dust of the earth, and then He breathed into him a living soul. (There is no reason to believe that has ever changed) We came from the mouth of God, so to be spat out because we were lukewarm means we would be cast away from God! This means no Heaven, no crown, but only torment in hell forever and ever.
If my desire is not to pass the test, then my desire is therefore to fail it. If my desire is not to Serve my Lord, then my desire is in fact to serve myself! (There is no middle ground)
Matthew 6:24
No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.
Mark 12:30
30 And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ This is the first commandment.
Do I Love the Lord with everything that I am or do I love myself or something else more than God? I fear that many would not dare to give this much thought, and answer truthfully. As for me I must be able to say I love the Lord my God with all my heart,all my soul, all my mind, and all my strength, and it be true.
God said He is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow, knowing this we must know that we are weighed in our actions, and measured by our faithfulness. If I am the faithful child of God then God will say well done, but if not, just as Belshazzar I would be found lacking.
God is not only the God of Love, but He is a wrathful God and a vengeful God and we must remember that as well. If I fail I will bring great calamity upon me and it may not stop there!
Saul, instead of turning to God turned away and visited the witch at Endor, it was not just turning to the witch that was the greatness of his sin, but the turning away from God of which he knew! And if you know the story God ended Saul’s bloodline, Saul was killed and so were his sons, so that the bloodline of Saul would be ended.
Nowhere in the scripture does it say that would not happen again to anyone else. Should I not fear the Lord? I love the Love my God, but I also fear Him.
I fear that He would separate Himself from me for being disobedient, for turning to something other than Him in times of trouble or times of prosperity. If my desire is to serve God then should He not be my focus at all times?
Times of testing can be difficult, and remaining strong can be a hard thing to do. If my focus is to give Glory to my Heavenly Father then my determination must be not to fail. Praise those times of testing, and understand they happen to make us stronger, and we must be strong!
I wrote a short commentary about two men that must travel the same path and it being necessary for them to reach the same place at the top of the mountain.
One sets out with his head down noticing every rock and obstacle, complaining about every aspect of his plight. The other sets out with his head up only looking forward to reaching his goal and admiring the sights along the way.
If I seek to glorify my Father in Heaven I will walk through my trials with my head up, but if I am burdened by my path then I will walk with my head down complaining all the way.
If we are worthy of consideration will be tested, some allowed as in the story of Job and others set forth as in the story of the talents, but in all of them I must seek to bring Glory to the Lord my God!
May you be considered in all things and be still enough to know that He is God! Amen.