Testing in Progress...

Greetings Friends!  Welcome back to my blog... This is my second post this week.  I told you that Part two was coming behind Class is in Session.  If you read that blog, you've read some tools of how to survive life class.  

Not only does God teach us throughout life, but, He also tests us on what we have learned.  Quiz.  Pop Quiz.  Unit Exam.  Final Test.... Do those words sound appealing to you?  Maybe.  Maybe NOT!!!  Tests aren't the most fun things, but they're always purposeful.  No matter what season of life you're in, no matter what test you may be facing, keep a few things in mind before you get discouraged:

1)  The TEACHER is never surprised by a pop quiz.  I’m not going to panic if God’s not panicking.  This may be a surprise to me, but never to Him.  God knew before this test was coming.  I can have peace and trust that He loves me enough to get me through this!

**Hebrews 4:12 tells us that “there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are open and laid bare to the eyes of Him with whom we have to do.”

2)  The TEACHER has specifically customized your test to assess what's in you.  How sweet is it to know that God has predestined according to His purpose to work things after His will for our lives.  There’s always continuity in what God does even if we don’t see or understand it.

**Ephesians 1:11 says, “also we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to His purpose who works all things after the counsel of His will.”

3)  The TEACHER never gives a test that He hasn't previously prepared you for.  The Lord gave the Israelites a series of test after test after test after test.  But, it was all intentionally for His glory.  Each test was preparing them for the next and the next and the next.  Don’t be like the Israelites, though, who had to keep learning some of the same lessons over and over.

**Deuteronomy 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.”

4)  The TEACHER made the test, so He has the answer key.  You can rest assured that God has all the answers and He loves us so much so that He will give us what we need and He’ll give good gifts to those who ask Him.  No, that doesn’t mean we get everything we want, but we can be sure that it means when we need our Heavenly Father, He is there‼

**Mathew 7:11 says, “if you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him! So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good gifts to those who ask him.”

5)  Use your memory bank.  So often we forget the things that God has done for us in the past.  We get caught up in our present storm that we forget the storms that God has brought us through.  Don’t fall so deep in the pit of this situation that you can no longer look around and see what God has done for you and for others.

**Hebrews 10:32 & 35 say, "But remember the former days, when, after being enlightened, you endured a great conflict of sufferings, ... do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward."

6)  If you fail the test, the TEACHER will make you retake it.  There’s nothing like going through absolute hell and then having to go back through the same hell you just went through all because you didn’t learn your lesson the first time.  The Israelite people didn’t trust God to get them out of Egypt.  Then when they got out of Egypt, they didn’t trust God to provide food when they were hungry.  Once they were fed, they didn’t trust God to get them into the Promised Land… God kept testing them.  Don’t be like them‼!

7)  The test is open Book.  :-)  Psalm 119:105, “Your word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path.”