In your life as a believer, you are either being tested or you are being trained. And you may be going through training in one area and testing in another.
Take note of the themes around which God is speaking to you very heavily in this season. These are the areas that you will be tested in as the days go by.
Sometimes God will keep you on a theme like fear, leading you to study scriptures on fear, boldness, trusting in Him and not being afraid, because He knows there are challenges coming your way that will want to cripple you with fear and melt your heart with trembling.
Or He may take you through a season where the sermons you’re listening to, scriptures you’re being led to study, songs you’re listening to have to do with humility because He can see that you’re about to get into a season where pride will be a huge test.
When the test comes, there is no time to prepare. You can only hope that you’re ready and that you prepared enough.
So right now, even if you don’t feel any urgency, when the Lord wakes you up to wait with Him for hours in the night, or leads you into studying and meditating on certain themes in the Scriptures for days and weeks at a go, pray that you have grace not to trivialise it. Pray that you’ll take it as seriously as a student takes his or her classes, knowing that exams are coming.
When the exams come, and the tests come, if you pass, by responding God’s way to the situation, you’ll be promoted to another dimension of glory in God. If you don’t pass, you’ll remain in your present level and the test will repeat itself in different ways until you pass it.
At this point you could even mistake it for a demonic attack or a demonic pattern, but if you seek the Lord, He may clarify that what is really going on is that He has been trying to perfect you in certain areas of your character by bringing certain trials your way, but you keep failing the tests by not responding to them according to His Word, and that’s why the same problem keeps coming back and your life seems to have stagnated.
Then the Lord said to Moses, “Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you; and the people shall go out and gather a day’s portion every day, that I may test them, whether or not they will walk in My instruction. Exodus 16:4
In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. And have you forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons? “My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor be weary when reproved by him. For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives.” It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline? If you are left without discipline, in which all have participated, then you are illegitimate children and not sons. Hebrews 12:4-11
The crucible is for silver, and the furnace is for gold, and the Lord tests hearts. Proverbs 17:3
Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him. James 1:12
Words: Grace Favour (Anne Shikuh)
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