Testing Time IS Praising Time

Jesus never promised us an easy ride. He never said that being His disciple would be easy. He never even hinted that following Him would give us a trouble-free life. In actual fact, He said to “take up your cross and follow Me”.

So what is your reaction when God allows testing to come your way? Do you shout and holler? Rant and rage? Do you moan and groan – Oh Lord why this? – why that? How will we manage? You are only human after all and this latest test may have been the “final straw that broke the camel’s back”.

A friend of mine called recently – his wife has just been diagnosed with a particularly aggressive type of breast cancer. When told, she simply smiled and returned to her usual work saying, “God has me in His hand. I am not worried or scared.” What grace. What serenity in the face of such evil. I know many who would have crumpled in a heap at the news. Yet here was a true Christian assured response from one who knows her Saviour – who knows who she is in Him.

The Word says this :-

Romans 8 (One of the great sections of scripture in my opinion)
18 I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.

28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.
NB – In ALL things – not in some things – in ALL things God works for our good.

37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.

38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
NOTHING can separate us from Him or His love – NOTHING

Ephesians 5:20
“Always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Giving thanks for EVERYTHING – not some things but EVERYTHING.

It doesn’t matter if its trouble through illness or finances or families or even our church, God is working in ALL things for our good and we must give thanks for EVERYTHING in our lives.

Let me finish on a warning and then an encouragement.

1 Corinthians 10:9-11 (NIV)
We should not test the Lord, as some of them did . . . . . And do not grumble, as some of them did—and were killed by the destroying angel.
11These things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us, on whom the fulfillment of the ages has come.

In his book, From Prison to Praise, Melvyn Carruthers relates how on many occasions, seemingly dire situations were resolved wonderfully by simply giving God praise and glory in ALL things. Should we not be doing the same – more than we do at the moment??