Passing the Tests!
12 So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall! 13 No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it. (1 Corinthians 10:12-13) NIV
This past week has been quite the test for me. I return from vacation, and immediately get sick. So sick that I have to see a doctor and convalesce at home. Miserable Indeed! I don’t have time to be sick, right? I’ve got too much to do for the kingdom!
In this scripture…..temptation in Greek is ‘test or tested’. So I was overtaken by a worldly test…. So what do I do? Do I just keep going….until I can’t bear it anymore? That would just make other people sick I’m sure. Or do I hand it over to God…..and with Him….endure through it? My way out….is to endure through the sickness, so I could overcome it….by seeing the doctor, taking medicine, and convalescing in isolation.
In order to pass this test…..I not only had to turn it over to God….but I also had to trust others. How many times do we go through tests and struggles….and we keep it to ourselves? God provides a way for us to bear it and endure, and many times, it is with the help and aid of others. Think about it…..in your past struggles and temptations…the ones you tried to endure by yourself….. how would it have turned out if you had reached out to others?
I give thanks today for the others God has brought to my aid. And I thank Him for allowing me to trust in them and lean on them. And by doing this….I am getting better… probably a lot quicker than if I had just tried to keep going on my own. This week…if you are being tested….. first hand it over to God…and then trust in others to help and support you. Because all that matters in the next life….is Passing the Tests of this Life!
Shalom,
Pastor Dave
