Trust Will Be Tested

How do you feel about tests or what’s more commonly referred to as trials? Do they fill you with nail-biting anxiety, deep foreboding? If you belong to the Lord, they are designed to reveal to you what you really know about the subject at hand—in this case—the heavenly mandate given to us to walk by faith, not by sight God. Do you occasionally ponder how unshakable your trust in Him is? In the above Scripture, I am certain that when Abraham passed the test God had given him—i.e., to trust Him with the life of his long-awaited son, Isaac-- Abraham’s capacity to trust God stretched to even deeper depths than he’d ever experienced before.

Our response to threatening trials or tests that spring up “suddenly” and unforeseen expose the true capacity of our heart to trust our Savior. They reveal our retention of past spiritual lessons, and our level of preparedness for future trials. More importantly, they sensitize us, if we’re paying attention, to the God-ordained likelihood of possible retakes! Whom the Lord loves He certainly chastens.

You’ve likely heard it said that our capacity to trust God is more likely to grow during seasons of testing, than in seasons of calm. So what should be our take on these inescapable life encounters called “tests” or trials? A renewed pursuit of walking by faith requires that we prepare as much as possible our heart and mind for tests and adversities before they arrive on our doorstep. Someone has said that we must “Cultivate a deeper trust in the goodness of God than in the [uninterrupted] goodness of life.” In other words, make your peace with the sovereignty of God, and yes, keep on trusting His heart—even when we don’t “see” His hand in what may be unfolding in our lives.

PRAYER: Father God, as one faithful preacher often reminds his congregants, You know what You are working with in Your dealings with us. In Your mercy, help us to grow stronger in the trust department, for without faith, You tell us, it is impossible to please You. Thank You, in Jesus’ name; amen!
By Sis. Denise Diggs