No teacher tests his students in order to rejoice at their failure. So with God, the goal of the test is not so that our feet and faith will stumble but that our faith can pass the test and be found standing when the tests are through. Someone once said that with God, its an open book test- the whole bible is there to provide the answers we need for our time of trial and testing.
The Difficulties and Storms of life they are a portion of everyone who is born on earth.
Job 5:7
But mankind is born headed for trouble, just as sparks soar skyward.
Luke 6:47
47 Everyone who comes to me and hears my words and does them, I will show you what he is like: 48 he is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. And when a flood arose, the stream broke against that house and could not shake it, because it had been well built. 49 But the one who hears and does not do them is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. When the stream broke against it, immediately it fell, and the ruin of that house was great.
Building a faith that endures
If testing and trouble is an inevitable outcome in life, then we have to be even more diligent to make sure that our faith passes the tests that are sure to come.
In building a faith that has longevity, Jesus points to two things. The first is the discipline of acquainting oneself with His teachings (mainly the gospels) - He says this requires digging. The digging required I interpret as deep contemplation, a deep investigation into the meaning of His words, His teaching in the gospels, an endeavour which requires the Holy Spirit to illuminate and a heart which wants to dig for treasure.
The second meaning is a deep reflection in the heart of with a determination to put into action what God says. A heart which digs into the foundations of its own innermost beliefs and asks itself the question: How do I obey His teaching? What deep beliefs (however long held or however dear and cherished) must I forsake to build by faith so that it stands, whatever testing?
Remember we are building a house of faith. The last I checked, a house does not house one person alone. Which leads to the question - do you want to build a one-bedroom, or a warehouse for souls? The bigger the faith you wish to have the stronger the impact which you would like your faith to have to protect and house the souls of men, the stronger and deeper must your foundation of faith be. A small foundation might do for one person to survive the onslaught of life, but if you want a faith that can house save and protect your own family, like Noah had, a house that can last down through the generations, where your descendants can say, he built our faith then we need to start to pray and get to work on His word especially and foremost, I stress: the Gospels. "to hear His word and do them", the word of Christ. The teachings from the mouth of Christ, the teachings and testimony of Christ - His person, as recorded faithfully in the gospels.
Psalms 11 clearly states that God tests the heart, and that facing opposition and resistance is normal in pursing a walk of faith.
Psalms 11
The Lord Is in His Holy Temple
To the choirmaster. Of David.
1 In the Lord I take refuge;
how can you say to my soul,
Flee like a bird to your mountain,
2 for behold, the wicked bend the bow;
they have fitted their arrow to the string
to shoot in the dark at the upright in heart;
3 if the foundations are destroyed,
what can the righteous do?
4 The Lord is in his holy temple;
the Lord's throne is in heaven;
his eyes see, his eyelids test the children of man.
5 The Lord tests the righteous,
but his soul hates the wicked and the one who loves violence.
6 Let him rain coals on the wicked;
fire and sulfur and a scorching wind shall be the portion of their cup.
7 For the Lord is righteous;
he loves righteous deeds;
the upright shall behold his face.
The Whole Aim of Testing
The whole aim of the test is the last two verses: He loves righteous deeds, the upright shall behold His face. He wants fellowship with the tested and approved. He wants to reveal His heart to those who are after His heart, to those who have been transformed into His likeness.
No comments:
Post a Comment