Religion

Does God Test Those He Chose To Lead?

Of course, God tests His chosen! There is a mountain of Biblical evidence that God often uses hardship to try His chosen ones. Moreover, quite often, those tests resemble the trials and tribulation the devil place upon us.

So, aside from the hardships that come naturally on your Christian journey, there are also more than a few tricky situations that God uses to test your commitment and resiliency. Therefore, as you navigate this narrow path, it is of paramount importance that you understand that not every trial you face is designed to destroy you. The Bible says, ..” the Lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes each one he accepts as his child.” (Hebrews 12:6).

For example, Job 1: 1-3 states, “There once was a man named Job, who lived in the land of Uz. He was blameless—a man of complete integrity. He feared God and stayed away from evil. He had seven sons and three daughters. He owned 7,000 sheep, 3,000 camels, 500 teams of oxen, and 500 female donkeys. He also had many servants. He was, in fact, the richest person in that entire area.”

Still yet, God allows Satan to visit terrible trials upon Job to test him. And in a short period, Job lost all his livestock. Then a desert wind blows down his house, killing all of his ten children. And when Job did not falter, Satan doubled down and afflicted him with painful sores all over his body. Unable to help her husband, Job’s wife urges him to curse God and die. However, Job stays true to his commitment to God.

And in the end, “the LORD restored Job’s losses when he prayed for his friends. Indeed the LORD gave Job twice as much as he had before” ( Job 42:10)…So he lived for another 140 years.

Casting crowns’ Medley of Inspiration

Make a joyful shout to the Lord, all you lands!

2 Serve the Lord with gladness;

Come before His presence with singing.

3 Know that the Lord, He is God;

It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves;

We are His people and the sheep of His pasture.

4 Enter into His gates with thanksgiving,

And into His courts with praise.

Be thankful to Him, and bless His name.

5 For the Lord is good;

His mercy is everlasting,

And His truth endures to all generations

God always confound the wise to protect the faithful

Scripture has taught us that if we are faithful and true to God, He will deliver us from harm and danger. Hence, the reason why David, the Old Testament Patriarch, wrote in Psalm 23, “Even though I walk through a valley of death, I will fear no evil.

The story of the three Hebrew boys depicted in the book of Daniel is yet another example of God building a fence of protection around those who loved Him.

When King Nebuchadnezzar flexed his muscles and ordered three Hebrew boys thrown in a furnace-because, they refused to bow to him or worship his golden image. He thought they would serve as an example for others who disobeyed his orders.

But when the King walked by the furnace, he saw four men in the furnace walking around in the fire. Nebuchadnezzar was naturally confounded. But you needn’t be because you and I will never know what God will do to protect us; all you need to do is trust Him.

Casting Crowns- Great are you, Lord

Reflexion Saturday

“ If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land. Now my eyes will be open, and my ears attentive to the prayers offered in this place.  I have chosen and consecrated this temple so that my Name may be there forever. My eyes and my heart will always be there.”

2 Chronicles 7:14-16

You shall rise from the ashes

Life is not a bed of roses. It doesn’t matter who you are; you are going to face tribulation. Sometimes all you will see around you are dark clouds. And it matters not how hard you try to turn things around; nothing breaks in your favor. Now, you begin to wonder why me? But God answers with the question, “Why not you.”

As children of God, we must be steadfast in our commitment to Christ. We cannot be wishy-washy. The patriarch, Job was not, even when he lost everything, Peter was not, even as he languished in jail, Paul was not, despite many shipwrecks and imprisonment, and Jacob, the swindler, refused to let the angel go until he received a blessing.

Every one of the men mentioned above rises out of their tribulation better off than they were. And you can too. Just hold firm to God’s unchanging hands. And you also shall rise.