Tested and Refined

The Bible makes it clear that God tests our love by putting us through various trials. God, speaking through Isaiah, says (Isaiah 48:10, NLT),

I have refined you, but not as silver is refined.
Rather, I have refined you in the furnace of suffering.

That uncomfortable verse invites an uncomfortable question: Why does God do this to us? Certainly it's not because he needs validation of our commitment to him. After all, in his omnipotence, he already knows the outcomes of those trials.

Rather, the purpose of those trials is that we learn where we stand in our commitment to him. Those trials are learning lessons, albeit painful ones, for us.

But not all of those tests are painful. Sometimes God seduces us with worldly treasures and pleasures to test whether we'll stray from his path. In Deuteronomy 13:1-3 (NLT), God, speaking through Moses, says,

Suppose there are prophets among you or those who dream dreams about the future, and they promise you signs or miracles, and the predicted signs or miracles occur. If they then say, ‘Come, let us worship other gods’—gods you have not known before—do not listen to them. The Lord your God is testing you to see if you truly love him with all your heart and soul.

So some of those "tests" might involve paths that seem cool, powerful, or otherwise attractive in some earthly sense. But those paths run counter to God's will, which means we must avoid them. Those paths are different types of tests.

Just remember, those tests provide learning lessons for our own good!

Assurance of God's Promise

In Isaiah 45:19 (KJV), God, speaking through Isaiah, says,

I have not spoken in secret, in a dark place of the earth:
I said not unto the seed of Jacob, Seek ye me in vain.

During those inevitable times when our faith wavers, let us turn to this verse to be reminded of God's promise. He does not say, "Seek me in vain." Rather, he says (Jeremiah 29:13, KJV),

Ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.

But does this promise apply only to the "seed of Jacob" (meaning Israelites). As it turns out, we're all the "seed of Jacob," whether related by blood or not! Paul writes (Ephesians 3:5-6, ESV),

The Gentiles are fellow heirs, members of the same body, and partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel.

So the message is this: It doesn't matter where you come from, or who you're related to. God's message in Isaiah 45:19 applies to you!

Don't Conform to this World

We must follow God's commandments regardless of what others around us are doing. That is, "everyone else does it" is not an excuse in God's eyes. We must view ourselves as sojourners -- we live in this world, but we belong to God.

As the Israelites left Egypt and entered into the promised land, God was well aware of the temptation to conform to behaviors of the world. He issued this note of caution (Numbers 33:55, NLT),

If you fail to drive out the people who live in the land, those who remain will be like splinters in your eyes and thorns in your sides. They will harass you in the land where you live.

Now, that does not mean that we, as sojourners, should create trouble for others. As Peter states (1 Peter 2:13-17, NLT),

Submit to all human authority ... don’t use your freedom as an excuse to do evil ... Respect everyone ... Fear God, and respect the king.

So the lesson is clear. We must strive to obey God's commandments, while also humbling ourselves before God and man.

Advice from Ezekiel 18

The Bible can seem complicated and dense, but in certain passages, God distills his main message into a few simple sentences. For example, I posted previously about simple advice from Isaiah 33.

This post turns to Ezekiel 18. For context, the Israelites have just been deported to Babylon, as a punishment for their continual sinning. God, speaking through Ezekiel, has spent several chapters chastising the people for their unfaithfulness. Those chapters make for some unpleasant reading!

We then arrive at chapter 18, verses 30-32 (NLT), where God offers the people a straightforward path away from their troubles,

Repent, and turn from your sins. Don’t let them destroy you! Put all your rebellion behind you, and find yourselves a new heart and a new spirit ... Turn back and live!

This advice applies to all of us. Are our sins crushing our spirit? If so, repent, turn back to God, and live!

Another Simple Morning Prayer

Saying a quick prayer first thing in the morning can set our day on the correct spiritual path.

In this post, I'd like to turn to Psalm 59:16-17. (I really like the KJV rendering of those two verses.)

I will sing of thy power; yea, I will sing aloud of thy mercy in the morning: for thou hast been my defence and refuge in the day of my trouble.

Unto thee, O my strength, will I sing: for God is my defence, and the God of my mercy.

By reciting these verses, we praise God for his (1) power, (2) mercy, and (3) protection. Simply put, God didn't have to allow us to wake up this morning. That fact that he did should be viewed as a merciful gift, and we must praise him accordingly.

Hannah's Prayer

I enjoy parts of the Bible that provide self-contained prayers, such as this one from David.

Another famous one, known as Hannah's Prayer, appears in 1 Samuel 2:1-10. If you feel that your prayers have recently become stale, turn to Hannah's Prayer, and let that form the basis of your prayer to God.

The prayer emphasizes God's supreme power to accomplish his will. I won't copy-and-paste the full prayer, but here are some highlights from the NLT translations.

My heart rejoices in the Lord!
    The Lord has made me strong.
...
 No one is holy like the Lord!
    There is no one besides you;
    there is no Rock like our God.
...
The Lord gives both death and life;
    he brings some down to the grave but raises others up.
The Lord makes some poor and others rich;
    he brings some down and lifts others up.
...
No one will succeed by strength alone.
    Those who fight against the Lord will be shattered.
...
He gives power to his king;
    he increases the strength of his anointed one.

What to Boast About

We should not boast about ourselves or our accomplishments, because all of that stuff is transitory. Psalm 49:20 (NLT) states,

People who boast of their wealth don’t understand;
    they will die, just like animals.

Indeed, when we stand before God, our earthly possessions and accomplishments cannot save us. Psalm 49:7 (NLT) states,

...they cannot redeem themselves from death
    by paying a ransom to God.

If we are to engage in any boasting, God, speaking through Jeremiah, explains that it should be about spiritual matters (Jeremiah 9:23-24, NLT),

Don’t let the wise boast in their wisdom,
    or the powerful boast in their power,
    or the rich boast in their riches.
But those who wish to boast
    should boast in this alone:
that they truly know me and understand that I am the Lord
    who demonstrates unfailing love
    and who brings justice and righteousness to the earth,
and that I delight in these things.

So the only thing we should take pride in is our belonging to God! Let us reflect upon that message in our prayers today.

Being Content with God's Gifts

During the Israelites' journey from Egypt to Canaan, God provides the people manna (a bread-like substance). But turning to Numbers 11:5-6 (NLT), the people begin to grumble,

We remember the fish we used to eat for free in Egypt ... But now our appetites are gone. All we ever see is this manna!

God responds (Numbers 11:18,20, NLT),

Now the Lord will give you meat, and you will have to eat it ... You will eat it for a whole month until you gag and are sick of it. For you have rejected the Lord.

Despite that God was already providing their nutritional needs, the people wanted more. Naturally, this attitude angers God.

We're all guilty of this sin. We fail to recognize our blessings, and we desire more, sometimes even to the point of coveting.

Today, let us remember the Words of Paul (Philippians 4:11-12, NLT),

I have learned how to be content with whatever I have. I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything.