Friday means looking at the word prompt and joining Kate Motaung for Five Minute Friday. One word prompt. Five minutes. No editing. Many of us writing on that same word.
Today’s prompt is … Test.
Upon reading the word prompt, I remember days in school and sitting at my desk with a test paper in front of me. The purpose of the exam was to determine how well I had learned the subject. I studied hard during my school years as I loved learning, well, most subjects anyway.
Now in my adult years, I have still faced days which tested me. I will admit, I sat thinking about this for a length of time this morning. The questions came to mind … What are these tests supposed to determine? What is it I am to learn?
“Test” according to dictionary.com is “the means by which the presence, quality, or genuineness of anything is determined; the trial of the quality of something“.
Familiar verses in Job immediately come to mind:
“But he knows where I am going. And when he tests me, I will come out as pure gold.” (Job 23:10, NLT)
God is not a harsh or demanding teacher trying to determine if we have learned our lessons. With the definition opened on my computer screen before me, I realize each and every test is to prove to us that our faith in God is worth pure gold.
Each test is for the purpose of teaching us the genuineness of our God. He is faithful to go through each test with us, never leaving us alone. I also learned:
- We can stay the course as He strengthens us. “For I have stayed on God’s paths; I have followed his ways and not turned aside” (verse 11).
- His Word becomes life. “I have not departed from his commands, but have treasured his words more than daily food” (verse 12).
- He is sovereign. “So he will do to me whatever he has planned. He controls my destiny” (verse 14).
Each test, designed to teach, but more so,
to overwhelm us with the awareness of our God.
“I had only heard about you before, but now I have seen you with my own eyes.” (Job 42:5, NLT)
Today I am joining … Five Minute Friday and Faith Filled Friday and Grace & Truth and Faith ‘N Friends and #FreshMarketFriday .
I am so thankful that God goes through the tests with us! Have a blessed day!
Me too, Barbie, me too. Better yet, I am so grateful He whispers the answers to us 🙂
I love your take on this, Joanne! I’ve never thought about tests as avenues for US to test God–but you’re right. When we trust in him, we are putting his faithfulness to the test (and he always passes).
Anita, I am not sure I looked at it as a test of God’s faithfulness but I am so glad you worded it that way 🙂 His faithfulness surely surpasses any of my expectations!
I still have nightmares that it’s suddenly test day at school and I haven’t even opened the book or been to a single class. ha. I never really was terrified of tests during my school years, but perhaps there was more hidden anxiety that I realized. Anyway, so grateful that God is with us in every test we go through and gives us grace! Thanks for sharing this, Joanne.
Lisa, I can well remember my anxiety for tests. My nights were often filled with interrupted sleep as I would get up to review my notes. I am so grateful for the grace and mercy (and faithfulness) of our God, Who guides us through all things. Blessings!
I don’t mind tests if I can study for them. God’s tests get me every time though. I think I’ve been repeating the same test the last few years about trust.
I fail every time.
I need to let my faith be greater than my fear. That’s where I’m stuck real good!
God is working in me though;)
Julie
Love this: “Each test, designed to teach, but more so,
to overwhelm us with the awareness of our God.”
I love that we can be overwhelmed by an awareness of God! That’s such a beautiful picture!
Shauna Blaak (your neighbour in #32 today)
P.S. You have such a beautiful website. So pretty.
“He is faithful to go through each test with us, never leaving us alone.” This is ultimately and completely comforting. Yet when going through the hardest parts of a test, I tend to forget this. Thank you for a lovely reminder.
Joanne, We can stay the course as he gives us strength. Love you my friend. Blessings Diana
Obviously, we were thinking along the same lines today with this prompt. I have to admit, I often don’t like the tests that come into my life, but you are so right. They give me an overwhelming awareness of God. I was just studying Hannah and one commentator said that any suffering we do in this life gives a bigger capacity for God. Thanks for sharing your thoughts! I am visiting from FMF. 🙂
Joanne, I used to really wrestle with the test Abraham was put under with sacrificing his son. I thought, “What kind of God does that?” I wrestled until I realized exactly what you are speaking of here, that the testing is not prove to US that our faith in God is pure gold. Love this reminder because the testing always present it seems.