I read this the other day in my daily quiet time and it spoke right to my soul as I have been worrying and fretting over the possibility of losing my job and as much as I would like to take credit for it, it isn't mine, but it really spoke to me.
"Moses said to the people, 'Do not fear; for God has come to test you, and that His fear may be before you, so that you may not sin." ~ Exodous 20:20
The good news about test is that they occur over a finite period of time. Even the SAT is only three to four hours long! There is a set beginning and established end to the testing period. The buzzer goes off, and you get up and go. Why then do believers get frustrated with God, thinking that the test they're sweating through will never end? Even the Israelites were brought through the bondage as slaves in time.
God's test do three things for us. First, they prepare us. He knows what's around the bend and what strengths we will need to deal with what is ahead. Second, they perfect us. After a high-school student takes that final exam, the student is promoted to the next grade level. If you're in the midst of a God-sized test, get ready for your promotion, because it's coming! Finally, God's tests produce the fruit of the spirit in us: love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control are all given to us as a result of the tests we take.
Are you in a time of testing? The good news is, you can take it "open book" style. Just get out your Bible and read to know what God wants you to do.
~from Babes with Beatitude by Linda P. Kozar & Dannelle Woody
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