The simplicity of the Lord’s test—the test within a test
Then the Lord said to Moses, “Why are you crying out to Me? Tell the sons of Israel to go forward. As for you, lift up your staff and buy clomid online stretch out your hand over the sea and divide it, and the sons of Israel shall go through the midst of the sea on dry land. Exodus 14:15-16
Pharaoh had finally insisted that Israel depart Egypt following a series of ten plagues which fell upon the land, one after another.
Yet soon after Moses and God’s people left, this happened: “When the king of Egypt was told that the people had fled, Pharaoh and his servants had a change of heart toward the people, and they said, ‘What is this we have done, that we have let Israel go from serving us?’” (Exodus 14:5.)
Sometimes God will grant you a great deliverance—you are born again; perhaps you get healed from sickness or are delivered from an awful addiction—and the devil smacks the side of his head in fury, stomps his feet, and determines this: I can’t let him go! I’ve gotta recapture her! You see, you submitted to God; He delivered you with His mighty hand; now the devil is enraged and wants you back—or at least to re-bind you so you’ll be hindered from inflicting further damage upon his kingdom.
This is what happened to Israel after they exited Egypt. Pharaoh and his troops set out after the exiles to drag them back to Egypt and resume their servitude.
“As Pharaoh drew near, the sons of Israel looked, and behold, the Egyptians were marching after them, and they became very frightened; so the sons of Israel cried out to the Lord” (Exodus 14:10).
A massive attack against the people of God was looming—just upon the doorstep—and the people spoke harshly against Moses in their panic (see verses 11-12).
But Moses, every bit as vulnerable as the people, spoke with confidence in the living God. “Do not fear! Stand by and see the salvation of the Lord which He will accomplish for you today; for the Egyptians whom you have seen today, you will never see them again forever. The Lord will fight for you while you keep silent” (verses 13-14).
I believe that Moses had no idea how they would be delivered at this point; he merely spoke from the place of trust in God’s purpose, power, and loving connection. And I believe that God’s response—a test in the midst of the test—was an act of drawing near to Moses who had chosen to draw near to and buy clomid online honor Him in the face of sure annihilation. Here’s what God said:
“Tell the sons of Israel to go forward. As for you, lift up your staff and stretch out your hand over the sea and divide it, and the sons of Israel shall go through the midst of the sea on dry land” (verses 15b-16).
Moses heard the words God spoke and he acted upon them. The rest is history—the Red Sea parted, the Israelites crossed over on dry ground unscathed, the Egyptian army pursued through the walls of water, and were subsequently crushed under the sheer force of the sea falling back into place.
After that amazing deliverance, Israel rejoiced in exuberant song and dance. But soon they found themselves in the wilderness for three days without water—and they complained bitterly.
“When they came to Marah, they could not drink the waters of Marah, for they were bitter; therefore it was named Marah. So the people grumbled at Moses, saying, ‘What shall we drink?’” (Exodus 15:23-24).
Again, circumstances turned south and the people were under attack—this time in severe need of water. And once again, just after victoriously worshiping God for His miraculous intervention, they complained bitterly.
And yet again, Moses held himself steady and turned to God.
“Then he cried out to the Lord, and the Lord showed him a tree; and he threw it into the waters, and the waters became sweet” (verse 25a).
Yet again, God responded with a test within the test: throw the tree I’m showing you into the water. Moses heard the word of the Lord and acted upon it, and God followed through with miraculous intervention.
Are you picking up on a pattern? Here’s what I’m seeing:
- A test comes through circumstances—orchestrated by wicked men, the devil, or stressful, unpleasant events.
- A choice is made—either to complain bitterly or to trust in God.
- When trust in God is chosen, God hears and responds with a “test within the test”—in other words, He gives you something to obey or act upon.
- You hear the word of God and buy clomid online act upon it—you do that thing which God tells you to do.
- God responds with miraculous intervention.
Two times in a row, God heard the lone voice of trust within a sea of bitter complaints and responded with deliverance. However, both times, the rescue was based upon a “test within the test”. Would the people let go of their panic, fear, and anxiety long enough to hear the word of God and then to act on it? “Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them, may be compared to a wise man who built his house on the rock” (Matthew 7:24).
The waters became sweet and safe to drink when Moses heard God’s instruction and acted upon it. And it followed that “there He made for them a statute and regulation, and there He tested them. And He said, “If you will give earnest heed to the voice of the Lord your God, and do what is right in His sight, and give ear to His commandments, and keep all His statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you which I have put on the Egyptians; for I, the Lord, am your healer” (Exodus 15:25b-26; emphasis added).
What is the test of the Lord?
- Give earnest heed to the voice of the Lord your God and give ear to His commandments.
- Do what is right in His sight and keep all His statutes.
The “test within a test” is God’s way of delivering you when all hell breaks loose against you. The trial or attack threatening you is not from God; but when it hits you, He will provide an escape route so that you will not be destroyed (see 1 Corinthians 10:13). And that escape route is what Jesus taught at the end of the Sermon on the Mount: Hear these words of Mine and act upon them (see Matthew 7:24).
So, the next trial you face, choose to trust God rather than to panic, despair, or complain. Call to Him, listen to His Word, and obey what He shows you to do. He will not leave you in the lurch. He will give you a simple “test within the test,” and as you obey, He will come through for you.
He will always provide the way of escape.
Dorothy
No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it. 1 Corinthians 10:13
Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them, may be compared to a wise man who built his house on the rock. Matthew 7:24
Read MoreGod tests with His Word
Connections—for example, plumbing connections (or any other arbitrary household, vehicular, or structural connection)—are often put to the test. The test might involve an inspection or a tune up by a certified professional or the owner; such tests are a good thing.
Connections will also be tested without any warning at all due to random events that occur beyond the control of the individual. Because of such unforeseen events—hurricanes, tornadoes, earthquakes, etc.—architects and city planners have learned to build structures and systems to withstand a variety of cataclysmic misadventures.
Testing is an integral part of good architectural design. Without testing, there is no way of knowing whether a structure will be able to hold up against the worst of nature or evilly-motivated men. This testing is designed to tweak and adjust, retrofit and restructure so that buildings will be able to stand—and so that the lives of those living or working within will survive if the unthinkable happens.
So, there is a good kind of test and an evil kind of test. The good kind of test prepares for the worst but is designed to bring about the best outcome possible. The evil kind of test collides with everything in its path to wreak havoc and destruction.
Guess which type of test is from God? Guess which type is not from Him? In light of the architectural analogy, it’s not hard to discern the difference.
Jesus used an architectural analogy Himself when instructing His followers concerning being prepared for the cruel tests of life. As He concluded His Sermon on the Mount, He revealed that His words were not only to be heard, but to be acted upon, as well. Jesus, the wise Teacher, had just distributed the test—words of life and sober truth—among the crowd, and He set the bar high.
“Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them, may be compared to a wise man who built his house on the rock,” He declared (Matthew 7:24). He was saying, in essence, You’ve heard Me; now, if you are wise, you will follow through. This was a test—a controlled, Teacher-directed test in a safe environment.
Take a closer look at the test:
- Hear these words of Mine
- Act on them
Jesus is teaching you and me today exactly the same thing He instructed His disciples long ago on the Mount of Olives. The controlled test of the Lord, presented and conducted in a safe environment, is simply to hear His words and to act on them. Daily. Often. Consistently. Time and again. Over and over. Regularly.
But why?
“...the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and yet it did not fall, for it had been founded on the rock” (Matthew 7:25; emphasis added).
Studying the Word of God and acting on it is like building a house on solid bedrock. And it is in the safe, controlled environment of learning the Word and putting it into practice that you become equipped to face the cruel tests of life. Rains fall. Floods come. Winds blow. They slam against all of our lives—and if you have built your life upon the Word of God, you will not be destroyed.
Jesus also said this: “Everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not act on them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand” (Matthew 7:26; emphasis added). You hear His Word—you’re in the safe-zone, the perfect testing environment for absorbing the truth of the Bible and then obeying what you learn; but you decide you have better things to do.
Oh, that’s OK—God’s really a great Guy. He’ll cover it, you may think. You’ve built a lovely beachfront home, right there on Sandy Lane over by Easy Street, and you are enjoying life at its best. You almost feel sorry for all those poor clods who dig away at the Rock day in and day out, building and calculating and fitting and testing their structures for soundness. They’ve gone off the deep end, you may chuckle to yourself.
But you didn’t take into consideration one teensy, tiny point—typhoon season!
“The rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and it fell—and great was its fall” (Matthew 7:27; emphasis added).
Jesus clearly revealed the way to not only survive the worst that life could throw your way but to overcome in the midst of it, too. As you allow the Lord to test you by receiving His words and then acting on them in the safe, controlled environment of your everyday life, you build on a solid foundation with materials of an imperishable nature. And when storms crash against your life, you will stand and prevail, because you’ve built upon the bedrock of God’s Word.
May we value to the fullest extent the safe, controlled testing environment of hearing His Word and acting upon it in our everyday lives.
Dorothy
The wise woman builds her house, but the foolish tears it down with her own hands. Proverbs 14:1
But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves. James 1:22
Read MoreTests
Just about everyone six or seven years old and up has taken a test. What is the purpose of a test in the academic setting? At its best, a test is a tool to assess the ability of the test taker to use knowledge specifically covered in lessons in an accurate and meaningful way.
Not all tests given in schools are great assessment tools; not all tests truly tap into the heart of the knowledge imbedded within students; yet almost all tests have certain things in common—they require some sort of preparation; they draw upon the reserves of the individuals undergoing the test; and they are not fun.
The book of James speaks of the testing of our faith: “Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance” (James 1:2-3; emphasis added). James is pointing out here that one way the testing of your faith occurs is through trials. The apostle Paul writes of tribulations (which are certainly trials): “And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance” (Romans 5:3). Both James and Paul observe that trials which test your faith produce endurance and perseverance.
What is being tested when you as a Christian undergo a trial? Mainly, your faith—your confident connection to God through Jesus Christ. But how do you attain faith?
Faith is the gift of God—it’s not self-manufactured—and it comes as you recognize the biblical truth that you have need for connection with One greater than yourself. Saving faith comes to you when this recognition of need leads you to the truth about Jesus, the One who died for you. It is then—when you link your life to Jesus by the faith arising within you—that you enter into full relationship with God based the substitutionary death of Jesus for you. Note: saving faith immerses you in the righteousness of Jesus, who took your sin on the cross, thereby creating an exchange—your sin for His righteousness. Saving faith can never be granted due to your own personal goodness.
Therefore tests, trials, and tribulations are geared toward one end—your faith in God through Jesus Christ. Who is the author of these tests? Good question; this very question is at the heart of how confidently you approach the test.
When I taught, I devised tests. I spent time thinking about the lessons I taught and how I wanted to assess the mastery of those concepts. In a controlled atmosphere and specific time frame, I gave those tests. They had a beginning, a middle, and an end. More times than I can count, I heard the triumphant word “DONE!” escape the lips of my students—both boys and girls—in every subject and each grade I was privileged to teach, from second to ninth.
But here’s the next question. If I tested a concept, is it safe to say that, as a result, my students would never need to use the tested understanding again? They passed, didn’t they?
Here’s the truth behind controlled testing. At its best and most practical, testing equips students for the real world. Math lessons and tests should prepare you for real-world encounters with everything numeric. English and language arts lessons and tests should prepare you for real-world encounters with everything in the realm of communication—reading, speaking, listening, and writing. The same is true for science and history. Those lessons and tests should train you in scientific thought based on facts, inquiry, and observation and should give you historical perspective from which to draw independent conclusions about human interactions, behaviors, choices, and outcomes.
I’m not referring to the current academic practice of indoctrinating young minds with worldviews designed to lead them to shun biblical faith and traditional values. I am speaking in reference to the true goal of solid education—the equipping of young people with the tools and skills necessary to interact with their world and make wise and well-developed, thoughtful choices based on critical thinking, honest questioning, and self-directed research.
You learn and are tested because of the real world which you face every day. That world is not always nice and neat; that world doesn’t always abide by the Golden Rule; that world doesn’t always think that you are wonderful and deserve a medal.
So…does God test us? Yes. Are all tests from God? No. Then, how will you know the difference? You may not be able to discern at first, but keep this thought in mind—God is a good God, and the devil is a bad devil. Jesus said, “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly” (John 10:10). If you encounter a test that falls into the category of stealing, killing, or destroying, then you are safe in assuming that the test is not from God. But fear not—He’s already equipped you to face any trial that comes your way. Remember, the goal of good instruction supported by wisely-developed tests is to prepare you for victory over whatever comes your way via the real world or the devil himself.
When trials do come your way, use the clear lessons you’ve learned in the Word, pray for wisdom, and know that the Teacher is within you. He’ll walk you through every part of the test and teach you as you move through its sections. Understand that what you’re facing, He has already faced—and conquered.
God tests us by His Word to do His Word. He does so to equip us to respond according to His Word when tests come from a different source—a decidedly sinister source.
Be confident in the One with whom you are connected. He has gone before you, He has conquered death, hell, and the grave on your behalf, and He will never fail you or forsake you.
When the tests come, the Teacher is on duty inside of you. Lean with confidence upon Him and you will pass the test.
Dorothy
You are from God, little children, and have overcome them; because greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world. 1 John 4:4
For whatever is born of God overcomes the world; and this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. 1 John 5:4
Read MoreThe demands of connection
But know that the Lord has set apart the godly man for Himself; the Lord hears when I call to Him. Psalm 4:3
That snowy morning I spent time reviewing my part of the connection with God. I saw some gaps that needed to be “caulked” with a more focused pursuit of the Lord. I realized that I had been slacking off in the time I spent before the Lord, and I needed to draw more closely to Him to seek and enjoy His presence with undistracted abandon. A demand had been placed on my end of this connection—a demand to be more purposeful in my pursuit of Him. And I was happy to do my part to connect more tightly again.
In healthy relationships, both parties typically understand the need to spend focused, undistracted time with the other. And this intentional set-aside involvement is considered a “demand”, even if it is an enjoyable one. Most Christians understand that our primary job as believers is to seek God and to worship Him regularly. This is a “demand” that is placed on our end of the connection.
And yet that is just our side of the connection. On His end, He absolutely delights in our fellowship and savors our worship. But over and over again in the Word of God, He lets us know that He desires each of us to place demands on Him, as well.
One of the most incomprehensible attributes of God to many people—maybe even you—is that He desires and even delights in having demands placed upon Him. Now, He’s not a Sugar Daddy, a genie, or an ATM and will not be treated as such. But He is a loving Father who cares tenderly and very deeply for each one of us.
And hence, when the psalmist declares, “Know that the Lord has set apart the godly man for Himself; the Lord hears when I call to Him,” you can be assured that He not only hears you when you call to Him, but He delights in that connection, as well.
Consider the contrast of the wicked: “Do all these evildoers know nothing? They devour my people as though eating bread; they never call on the Lord” (Psalm 14:4, NIV; emphasis added). A key characteristic of ungodly men and women is their refusal to humbly recognize their need to call upon God for His divine help. Evidently they think that placing a demand on the God of the universe is beneath them.
But as for you who know Him—or who would like to know Him—He is ready and waiting for you to place the demands of your life upon Him. He will lovingly take those demands and transfer to you the wisdom you need and then work out the rest in His own sovereign, supernatural way.
“…the…Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, for, ‘Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved’” (see Romans 10:12-13). The Lord has committed to richly bless anyone who calls on Him; even salvation is accessed by calling on His name. You call; He provides. Never again think that you bother the Lord.
The psalmist wrote, “Offer to God a sacrifice of thanksgiving and pay your vows to the Most High,” a clear delineation of the human end of the connection between God and man (Psalm 50:14). Your part is to openly thank God and follow through with your commitment to Him. But then the psalmist wrote prophetically concerning God’s end, “Call upon Me in the day of trouble; I shall rescue you, and you will honor Me” (Psalm 50:15; emphasis added).
Again, He beckons you to call on Him—even on the worst day of your life. And the Creator and God of all things has commanded you to place a demand on Him. He urges you to completely and one hundred percent look to Him to deliver you. And His part of the connection is this: He will rescue you.
Here’s the kicker: You bring honor to God because He rescues you. And that’s the way He set it up! When you encounter trouble, you cry out to Him; and He delivers you. That brings Him honor. What a deal!
No matter what life, the devil, or people throw at you, your part is to call boldly upon God. His part is to hear you and rescue you; and in all of this, you honor Him.
As you draw near to God, don’t neglect to place a demand on His great power and saving provision. In this way, you will minister to His Father’s heart and you will honor Him.
Dorothy
This poor man cried, and the LORD heard him and saved him out of all his troubles. Psalm 34:6
Read MoreThe greatness of His power us-ward
I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know…what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe. Ephesians 1:18a; 19b
That snowy morning God spoke to me quite a bit about my part of our relationship and how to recognize looseness on my end of that connection with Him. But connections run two ways—He reminded me about His commitment to do His part, as well.
It would be absolutely impossible for us humans to be personally accountable if God refused to uphold His end of the connection. We could try—but we would fail again and again. But because God is God; because He is good; and because He is gracious, He provided His Son as an atonement for our sin so that through Jesus, we could be empowered to walk in newness of life and to receive the grace necessary to sustain a close connection with Him.
The apostle Paul wrote, “I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know…” In order to access anything, it is beneficial to know that it exists and is available. Someone may have set hundreds of thousands of dollars aside in an account for you, but if you don’t know about it, the money just sits there—unknown and unaccessed—while your financial needs pile up, unmet.
Along with other momentous truths, one thing that God wants you to know is this: that His power is surpassingly great toward you who believe. I like how the King James Version says it: “…that ye may know what is… the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe”. The exceeding greatness of His power is “us-ward”. In other words, you can read it this way: God has locked and loaded the exceeding greatness of His power me-ward—and He’s not afraid to use it!
All of “the immeasurable and unlimited and surpassing greatness of His power” (Amplified) is focused on you, and God is more than willing to unload it on your behalf. He wants you to become so intimately knowledgeable about His willingness to use His power “you-ward” that it will be as natural for you to trust Him as it is to breathe.
Everything in your life; everything in your heart, mind, and personality; everything that has anything to do with you is something about which you can access the exceeding greatness of His power “you-ward”. In fact, your end of the connection with the Lord can be made snug and secure only because His end of the connection provides the power to make it secure.
When you were little, you learned your ABC’s and math facts by repetition. You learned how to tie your shoes and ride a bike through trial and error—through practice—over time. You may have thought at first that “el-em-en-o-pee” was a big, fancy letter; you may have computed 2 + 3 to equal six every now and then; you may have hopelessly knotted your shoelaces a time or two; and you probably wiped out while learning to ride your bike a few times. But with every miss, you got up and tried it again. And eventually, you conquered.
Have you suffered a couple or so “misses” while seeking to receive from God? Take a lesson from “little you” and get up and keep on going. Don’t let your past failures—whether through misinterpretation, miscalculation, misunderstood instructions, or unbalanced attempts at moving ahead—steal from you the joy of your salvation. The Lord remains the same; His mercy endures forever; and His power will always be you-ward.
So get back up. Say those ABC’s. Calculate that math fact. Tie that shoe. Ride that bike. And trust God once again. He will make things clear; He will illumine your darkness; He will not fail.
And pray. Pray for the eyes of your heart to be enlightened to know—to really know—what is the surpassing greatness of the power of His connection “you-ward”. This is a prayer He delights in answering.
Dorothy
Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen. Ephesians 3:20-21
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