Woke up with 2 thought this morning, here is one
GOD DOES NOT TEST YOU TO DISCOVER WHERE YOUR HEART IS; HE TESTS YOU SO THAT YOU CAN DISCOVER WHERE YOUR HEART IS.
Deuteronomy 13:3 (KJV)
"Thou shalt not hearken unto the words of that prophet, or that dreamer of dreams: for the LORD your God proveth you, to know whether ye love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul."
Many times, when we are asked, Do you love God? our immediate response is YES!
But have we ever stopped to examine what we actually mean when we say we love God?
Sometimes, our understanding of loving God is based on our personal interpretation of what love means. We have developed our own definitions, shaped by our experiences, religious activities, emotions and even the world's subtle definition of love.
Consequently, we may confidently declare that we love God without necessarily understanding what loving Him with all our heart and soul truly means.
This brings us to an important question:
Why does God prove or test the hearts of men?
Someone might ask: Why should God have to prove me? After all, I attend church regularly, I serve in different units and capacities in the church, I give to people when they are in need, and I participate in the activities of God's house.
A person can be very active in church and still have an undiscovered area of the heart that has not fully surrendered to God.
A person can give generously and still struggle to obey God when obedience becomes uncomfortable.
A person can serve faithfully and yet discover that their commitment is stronger when things are convenient than when sacrifice is required.
This is why God's proving is important.
Sometimes, what we call love for God has not been tested beyond the boundaries of our comfort, personal interests and expectations.
The test reveals what our religious activities may not necessarily reveal.
WHAT THEN IS THE LOVE OF GOD?
The answer points us to JESUS!
Jesus is not merely an example of God's love; He is the fullest revelation of God's love towards humanity.
John 14:15
"If ye love me, keep my commandments."
Notice that Jesus connects love with obedience.
Again, 1 John 5:3 says:
"For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous."
Therefore, loving God is not merely an emotional declaration. It is a life that responds to God through Jesus Christ.
Jesus reveals the standard of love, the expression of love and the pathway of obedience.
The more we submit ourselves to Jesus, the more our understanding of loving God is purified from our personal assumptions and worldly definitions.
It is through Christ that we learn what it means to surrender, obey, sacrifice, remain faithful and put the will of God above our own desires.
John 15:5
"I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing."
Our relationship with Jesus is therefore central to the expression of our love for God.
WHY DOES GOD ALLOW US TO BE TESTED?
Abraham in Genesis 22.
God instructed Abraham to offer Isaac, the very son through whom the promise had been established.
God already knew Abraham, but the test brought Abraham's faith and obedience into manifestation.
In Genesis 22:12, God said:
Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou any thing unto him: for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from me."
The test brought something that was in Abraham's heart into visible expression.
It revealed the depth of his reverence and obedience.
Sometimes, we do not fully understand the condition of our hearts until our faith encounters a situation that demands a response.
We may think we love God until His instructions confront our personal desires.
We may think we trust God until circumstances challenge our expectations.
We may think we have surrendered everything until God asks for something we have secretly reserved for ourselves.
That is why the test is important.
God does not need a test to become omniscient or to discover information He does not already know.
Rather, His proving brings the condition of our hearts into manifestation so that we can see what is truly there.
Therefore, the next time you encounter a test of faith, do not only ask, Why is God allowing this to happen to me?
Also ask:
What is this situation revealing about my love for God?
Is my obedience dependent on convenience?
Do I love God for who He is or merely for what I receive from Him?
Is Jesus truly the Lord of every area of my life?
God does not test you to discover where your heart is; He tests you so that you can discover where your heart is.
And when the condition of that heart is revealed, do not run away from the revelation. Bring it to Jesus, because He is the one through whom our hearts are transformed and our love for God finds its true expression.
GOD DOES NOT TEST YOU TO DISCOVER WHERE YOUR HEART IS; HE TESTS YOU SO THAT YOU CAN DISCOVER WHERE YOUR HEART IS.
Deuteronomy 13:3 (KJV)
"Thou shalt not hearken unto the words of that prophet, or that dreamer of dreams: for the LORD your God proveth you, to know whether ye love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul."
Many times, when we are asked, Do you love God? our immediate response is YES!
But have we ever stopped to examine what we actually mean when we say we love God?
Sometimes, our understanding of loving God is based on our personal interpretation of what love means. We have developed our own definitions, shaped by our experiences, religious activities, emotions and even the world's subtle definition of love.
Consequently, we may confidently declare that we love God without necessarily understanding what loving Him with all our heart and soul truly means.
This brings us to an important question:
Why does God prove or test the hearts of men?
Someone might ask: Why should God have to prove me? After all, I attend church regularly, I serve in different units and capacities in the church, I give to people when they are in need, and I participate in the activities of God's house.
A person can be very active in church and still have an undiscovered area of the heart that has not fully surrendered to God.
A person can give generously and still struggle to obey God when obedience becomes uncomfortable.
A person can serve faithfully and yet discover that their commitment is stronger when things are convenient than when sacrifice is required.
This is why God's proving is important.
Sometimes, what we call love for God has not been tested beyond the boundaries of our comfort, personal interests and expectations.
The test reveals what our religious activities may not necessarily reveal.
WHAT THEN IS THE LOVE OF GOD?
The answer points us to JESUS!
Jesus is not merely an example of God's love; He is the fullest revelation of God's love towards humanity.
John 14:15
"If ye love me, keep my commandments."
Notice that Jesus connects love with obedience.
Again, 1 John 5:3 says:
"For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous."
Therefore, loving God is not merely an emotional declaration. It is a life that responds to God through Jesus Christ.
Jesus reveals the standard of love, the expression of love and the pathway of obedience.
The more we submit ourselves to Jesus, the more our understanding of loving God is purified from our personal assumptions and worldly definitions.
It is through Christ that we learn what it means to surrender, obey, sacrifice, remain faithful and put the will of God above our own desires.
John 15:5
"I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing."
Our relationship with Jesus is therefore central to the expression of our love for God.
WHY DOES GOD ALLOW US TO BE TESTED?
Abraham in Genesis 22.
God instructed Abraham to offer Isaac, the very son through whom the promise had been established.
God already knew Abraham, but the test brought Abraham's faith and obedience into manifestation.
In Genesis 22:12, God said:
Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou any thing unto him: for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from me."
The test brought something that was in Abraham's heart into visible expression.
It revealed the depth of his reverence and obedience.
Sometimes, we do not fully understand the condition of our hearts until our faith encounters a situation that demands a response.
We may think we love God until His instructions confront our personal desires.
We may think we trust God until circumstances challenge our expectations.
We may think we have surrendered everything until God asks for something we have secretly reserved for ourselves.
That is why the test is important.
God does not need a test to become omniscient or to discover information He does not already know.
Rather, His proving brings the condition of our hearts into manifestation so that we can see what is truly there.
Therefore, the next time you encounter a test of faith, do not only ask, Why is God allowing this to happen to me?
Also ask:
What is this situation revealing about my love for God?
Is my obedience dependent on convenience?
Do I love God for who He is or merely for what I receive from Him?
Is Jesus truly the Lord of every area of my life?
God does not test you to discover where your heart is; He tests you so that you can discover where your heart is.
And when the condition of that heart is revealed, do not run away from the revelation. Bring it to Jesus, because He is the one through whom our hearts are transformed and our love for God finds its true expression.
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