Loyal
When my wife and I were first married, it just so happened that my favorite football team was in the Superbowl that year.
All day long I asked my wife several times, do you need me to do anything? Take out the trash? Wash the dishes?
She just said No,.. no... and no.
The game starts on television, and it's a good close game. The score is tied with just a few minutes left.
..and of course now, my wife decides it's time for me to take out the trash. At first I tried to put it off for a few minutes,
but she asks again. Then I got a little annoyed, and started to get a little angry. I was about to say something to her..
But just then.. something dawned on me. I could take out the trash anytime, and she would have been OK with that.
But if I'm willing to get from my football game for a minute to do something she asked me to do... well that meant something.
That meant I loved her more than I loved football. She might not have even been conscious that it was a test, but it was.
The Bible says God tests us as well. It actually says God wants to know if we love Him.
Deut 8:2; And you shall remember that the LORD your God led you all the way these forty years in the wilderness, to humble you and test you, to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep His commandments or not.
Deut 13:3; you shall not listen to the words of that prophet or that dreamer of dreams; for the LORD your God is testing you to find out if you love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul.
The Bible says God tests us. It may not always be God Himself who does the testing, for example God let Satan test Job. But God watched to see the results of the test.
Of course Jesus Himself was tested for 40 days in the wilderness. The Father watched this test also.
Abraham was tested. In this case, it says he was tested to see if he feared God.
Heb 11:17; By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises offered up his only begotten son,
Gen 22:12; And He said, "Do not lay your hand on the lad, or do anything to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me."
James says our faith is tested.
Jas 1:2; My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials,
Jas 1:3; knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience.
Peter also says we will be tested.
1Pet 1:6; In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials,
1Pet 1:7; so that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ;
1Pet 4:12; Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal among you, which comes upon you for your testing, as though some strange thing were happening to you;
Now many believe God knows everything, The say He knows your heart. I don't doubt this. But do you know your heart?
Why yes, of course I know my heart... I fear God, I love God... I know my heart. Do you? Really? If this is the case, when why fear the test?
2Cor 2:9; For to this end also I wrote, so that I might put you to the test, whether you are obedient in all things.
2Cor 13:5; Test yourselves to see if you are in the faith; examine yourselves! Or do you not recognize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you—unless indeed you fail the test?
2Cor 13:6; But I trust that you will realize that we ourselves do not fail the test.
So God tests you, or perhaps allows Satan to test you. Either way... you are being tested. Why? Why would God test you? Especially He already knows your heart.
First, let us say you fail the test. Now you're standing in front of God on judgment day. God might say, you didn't love Me with all your mind, soul, strength and.. HEART.
You say, yes I did. He will say what about this test, and this test, and that test. Why didn't you love Me enough to be obedient to Me in these tests?
Now He may already know your heart, and the outcome of the tests before you are even tested, but you don't. If He never tests you... then there is no evidence
of faith and obedience.
Now let us say you pass the test. Again you are standing before God, and He says well done good and faithful servant. You passed this test, and that test.
But if He would have never tested you, again there would be no evidence of your love, faith and fear of God. You could stand before Him and say,
I never failed the tests, because I was never tested, if I would have been tested, I would have passed all the tests. .... so no, God allows us to be tested.
1Pet 1:6; In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials,
1Pet 1:7; so that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ;
1Pet 1:8; and though you have not seen Him, you love Him, and though you do not see Him now, but believe in Him, you greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory,
1Pet 1:9; obtaining as the outcome of your faith the salvation of your souls.
All day long I asked my wife several times, do you need me to do anything? Take out the trash? Wash the dishes?
She just said No,.. no... and no.
The game starts on television, and it's a good close game. The score is tied with just a few minutes left.
..and of course now, my wife decides it's time for me to take out the trash. At first I tried to put it off for a few minutes,
but she asks again. Then I got a little annoyed, and started to get a little angry. I was about to say something to her..
But just then.. something dawned on me. I could take out the trash anytime, and she would have been OK with that.
But if I'm willing to get from my football game for a minute to do something she asked me to do... well that meant something.
That meant I loved her more than I loved football. She might not have even been conscious that it was a test, but it was.
The Bible says God tests us as well. It actually says God wants to know if we love Him.
Deut 8:2; And you shall remember that the LORD your God led you all the way these forty years in the wilderness, to humble you and test you, to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep His commandments or not.
Deut 13:3; you shall not listen to the words of that prophet or that dreamer of dreams; for the LORD your God is testing you to find out if you love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul.
The Bible says God tests us. It may not always be God Himself who does the testing, for example God let Satan test Job. But God watched to see the results of the test.
Of course Jesus Himself was tested for 40 days in the wilderness. The Father watched this test also.
Abraham was tested. In this case, it says he was tested to see if he feared God.
Heb 11:17; By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises offered up his only begotten son,
Gen 22:12; And He said, "Do not lay your hand on the lad, or do anything to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me."
James says our faith is tested.
Jas 1:2; My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials,
Jas 1:3; knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience.
Peter also says we will be tested.
1Pet 1:6; In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials,
1Pet 1:7; so that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ;
1Pet 4:12; Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal among you, which comes upon you for your testing, as though some strange thing were happening to you;
Now many believe God knows everything, The say He knows your heart. I don't doubt this. But do you know your heart?
Why yes, of course I know my heart... I fear God, I love God... I know my heart. Do you? Really? If this is the case, when why fear the test?
2Cor 2:9; For to this end also I wrote, so that I might put you to the test, whether you are obedient in all things.
2Cor 13:5; Test yourselves to see if you are in the faith; examine yourselves! Or do you not recognize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you—unless indeed you fail the test?
2Cor 13:6; But I trust that you will realize that we ourselves do not fail the test.
So God tests you, or perhaps allows Satan to test you. Either way... you are being tested. Why? Why would God test you? Especially He already knows your heart.
First, let us say you fail the test. Now you're standing in front of God on judgment day. God might say, you didn't love Me with all your mind, soul, strength and.. HEART.
You say, yes I did. He will say what about this test, and this test, and that test. Why didn't you love Me enough to be obedient to Me in these tests?
Now He may already know your heart, and the outcome of the tests before you are even tested, but you don't. If He never tests you... then there is no evidence
of faith and obedience.
Now let us say you pass the test. Again you are standing before God, and He says well done good and faithful servant. You passed this test, and that test.
But if He would have never tested you, again there would be no evidence of your love, faith and fear of God. You could stand before Him and say,
I never failed the tests, because I was never tested, if I would have been tested, I would have passed all the tests. .... so no, God allows us to be tested.
1Pet 1:6; In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials,
1Pet 1:7; so that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ;
1Pet 1:8; and though you have not seen Him, you love Him, and though you do not see Him now, but believe in Him, you greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory,
1Pet 1:9; obtaining as the outcome of your faith the salvation of your souls.
