Often in our college days we would hear a warning from our teachers that came in this form, “there will be a test over this material”. This was a “heads-up” to pay attention and take notes. I find that there is a similar reality in the Christian life. As we go along on the Christian journey there will often be tests. In the Old Testament the word that was used to refer to this was “prove”. It was a reference to how God often tested His people to find out just what was in their hearts. It is kind of like what a mechanic does after he fixes your car; he takes it out for a test drive to assess the quality and success of his repairs.
So it is that God tests His people. A New Testament reference to this is found in the book of Corinthians:
1 Corinthians 10:13 There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.
How are you doing in the regular and often trials of life? Do you resent them? I find that some folks are just made bitter by these events and that is simply a choice that they make. They envy the opportunities and advantages of others and even resent their successful completion of trials. These trials of the believers are a reality you cannot escape. It is in these blessed trials that we are proven and perfected and I encourage you to use them well. We will only pass this way once, let's do it with grace and courage.
