I have vivid memories of walking out of my last final exam during my senior year in college feeling a great sense relief. Thinking to myself, “I have just completed my last “test” of my life.” Little did I know that there would be more schooling and more difficult tests to face in the years ahead. And little did I realize that the toughest tests are not completed with pencil and paper, but are faced in real life. The truth is … life is filled with tests!
As an educator, I thought it would be a lot easier to sit on the other side of the desk and administer tests instead of taking them. Later I learned that in many ways, I was being evaluated by how successful my students were in demonstrating their competency on exams. So honestly, I didn’t really like tests from either side of the desk!
My avoidance of tests leads me to admire individuals who face tests with courage and confidence. There is no greater example of someone welcoming a test than the one recorded in the Bible in the book of Malachi. And the surprising “test worthy hero” is the LORD. The prophet Malachi recorded the following promise to God’s people:
“Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this," says the LORD Almighty, "and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it.” Malachi 3:10 NIV
Often as believers, we approach the subject of financial giving and tithing as a test of our faith. And yet the promise above reminds us that our obedience in giving back to the LORD our “first fruits” is actually an opportunity to test the LORD. Here is the good news … the LORD always passes His tests in an amazing way! And that is a test that you and I can learn to enjoy!
No comments:
Post a Comment