Friday, February 04, 2005
Life is a Test and Trust
"Life on Earth is a Test. This life metaphor is seen in stories throughout the Bible.God continually tests people's character, faith, obedience, love, integrity, and loyalty. Words like trials, temptations, refining, and testing occur more than 200 times in the Bible. God tested Abraham by asking him to offer his son Isaac. God tested Jacob when he had to workd extra years to earn Rachel as his wife.
Adam and Eve failed theri test in the Garden of Eden, and David failed his tests from God on several occasions. But the Bible also gives us many examples of people who passed agreat test, such as Joseph, Ruth, Esther, and Daniel.
Character is both developed and revealed by tests, and all of life is a test. You are always being tested. God constantly watches your response to people, problems, success, conflict, illness, disappointment, and even the weather! he even watches the simplest actions such as when you open a door for others, when you pick up a peoce of trash, or when you're polite toward a clerk or waitress.
We don't know all the tests God will give you but we can predict some of them, based on the Bible. You will be tested by major changes, delayed promises, impossibleproblems, unanswered prayers, undeserved critism, and even senseless tragedies. In my own life i have noticed that God tests my faith through problems, tests my hope by how i handle possessions, and tests my love through people.
A very impt test is how you act when you can't feel God's presence in your life. Sometimes God intentionally draws back, and we don't sense his closeness. A king named Hezekiah experienced this test. The Bible says, 'God withdrew from Hezekiah in order to test him and see what was really in his heart.' Hezekiah had enjoyed a close fellowship with God, but at a crucial point in his life God left him alone to test his chr, to reveal a weakness, and to prepare him for more responsibility.
When you understand tt life is a tes, you realize tt nothing is insignificant in your life. Even the smallest incident has significance for your chr development. Every day is an impt day, and every second is a growth opportunity to deepen your chr, to demonstrate love, or to depend on God. Some tests seem over wheming whie others you don't even notice. But all pf them have eternal implications.
The goog news is tt God wants you to pass the tests of life, so he never allows the tests you face to be greater than the grace he gives you to handle them. The Bible says, 'God keeps his promise, and he will not allow you to be tested beyond your power to remain firm; at the time you are put to the test, he will give you the strength to endure it, and so provide you with a way out.'
Every time you pass a test, God notices and makes plans to reward you in eternity. James says 'Blessed are those who endure when they are tested. When they pass the test, they will receive the crown of life tt God has promised to those who love him.'
*****
Ahh...*sighz* another wk has come and gone... i feel like almost every entry has me digressing abt how fast time flies:) Im currently reading Rick Warren's Purpose-driven Life. Indeed don't we all want to find our purpose in this transient period of time. But wow, this bk offers pretty interesting insight. I mean i've never seen life in the perspective of it being a 'rehearsal' for one's life in eternity. Very cool. I mean i noe tt life is but a dream and heaven is our reality and all...but to think tt this life is merely a preparation for what we have to be in heaven, tt's juz something else. I know it's really not all tt easy to realise one's purpose and honestly i'm quite skeptical abt this bk being able to reveal to me my purpose. But I hope...i can find some sort of guide to living my life by God's will. *sigh* this portion of the bk really is for me. *wry smile* yupz, life has many tests many disappointments, many whys, and many many more whys. I dun wanna dwell on setbacks so much but sometimes, when you are all alone and it comes back to you again...sigh i think im a very slow reactor. I tell myself it's ok when something bad happens..but little do i know tt it's really not... especially when it starts to creep slowly into heart and then my whole mind is engulfed and i become distraught...then yeah i know tt what i had told myself earlier wuz a mere lie. But i don't want to put up a front...so i do admit my failures... i juz wish i won't dwell on them so much. Really through all these i see my dark side tt really scares me and disgusts me. I see my weaknesses...but I also see the wonderful frens I have tt make the pain seem so much more bearable! I Thank God for my frens for all the comforting and encouraging words. Gosh thank you from the bottom of my heart. Yupz, haha the pros and cons in everything life has to offer. Indeed God is merciful and full of grace cuz even in tests and trials, we can find something to make us smile and be thankful for:) Amen.
Adam and Eve failed theri test in the Garden of Eden, and David failed his tests from God on several occasions. But the Bible also gives us many examples of people who passed agreat test, such as Joseph, Ruth, Esther, and Daniel.
Character is both developed and revealed by tests, and all of life is a test. You are always being tested. God constantly watches your response to people, problems, success, conflict, illness, disappointment, and even the weather! he even watches the simplest actions such as when you open a door for others, when you pick up a peoce of trash, or when you're polite toward a clerk or waitress.
We don't know all the tests God will give you but we can predict some of them, based on the Bible. You will be tested by major changes, delayed promises, impossibleproblems, unanswered prayers, undeserved critism, and even senseless tragedies. In my own life i have noticed that God tests my faith through problems, tests my hope by how i handle possessions, and tests my love through people.
A very impt test is how you act when you can't feel God's presence in your life. Sometimes God intentionally draws back, and we don't sense his closeness. A king named Hezekiah experienced this test. The Bible says, 'God withdrew from Hezekiah in order to test him and see what was really in his heart.' Hezekiah had enjoyed a close fellowship with God, but at a crucial point in his life God left him alone to test his chr, to reveal a weakness, and to prepare him for more responsibility.
When you understand tt life is a tes, you realize tt nothing is insignificant in your life. Even the smallest incident has significance for your chr development. Every day is an impt day, and every second is a growth opportunity to deepen your chr, to demonstrate love, or to depend on God. Some tests seem over wheming whie others you don't even notice. But all pf them have eternal implications.
The goog news is tt God wants you to pass the tests of life, so he never allows the tests you face to be greater than the grace he gives you to handle them. The Bible says, 'God keeps his promise, and he will not allow you to be tested beyond your power to remain firm; at the time you are put to the test, he will give you the strength to endure it, and so provide you with a way out.'
Every time you pass a test, God notices and makes plans to reward you in eternity. James says 'Blessed are those who endure when they are tested. When they pass the test, they will receive the crown of life tt God has promised to those who love him.'
*****
Ahh...*sighz* another wk has come and gone... i feel like almost every entry has me digressing abt how fast time flies:) Im currently reading Rick Warren's Purpose-driven Life. Indeed don't we all want to find our purpose in this transient period of time. But wow, this bk offers pretty interesting insight. I mean i've never seen life in the perspective of it being a 'rehearsal' for one's life in eternity. Very cool. I mean i noe tt life is but a dream and heaven is our reality and all...but to think tt this life is merely a preparation for what we have to be in heaven, tt's juz something else. I know it's really not all tt easy to realise one's purpose and honestly i'm quite skeptical abt this bk being able to reveal to me my purpose. But I hope...i can find some sort of guide to living my life by God's will. *sigh* this portion of the bk really is for me. *wry smile* yupz, life has many tests many disappointments, many whys, and many many more whys. I dun wanna dwell on setbacks so much but sometimes, when you are all alone and it comes back to you again...sigh i think im a very slow reactor. I tell myself it's ok when something bad happens..but little do i know tt it's really not... especially when it starts to creep slowly into heart and then my whole mind is engulfed and i become distraught...then yeah i know tt what i had told myself earlier wuz a mere lie. But i don't want to put up a front...so i do admit my failures... i juz wish i won't dwell on them so much. Really through all these i see my dark side tt really scares me and disgusts me. I see my weaknesses...but I also see the wonderful frens I have tt make the pain seem so much more bearable! I Thank God for my frens for all the comforting and encouraging words. Gosh thank you from the bottom of my heart. Yupz, haha the pros and cons in everything life has to offer. Indeed God is merciful and full of grace cuz even in tests and trials, we can find something to make us smile and be thankful for:) Amen.
// posted by grace @ 10:49 PM 
