A Word With You
By Ron Hutchcraft
#5173 - The Test - Then the Lessons
2 Corinthians 1:8-9
|----------------------|
| Your training to be |
| God's spiritual |
| warrior. |
|----------------------|
Charles Dickens said it about the French Revolution, "It was the best of
times; it was the worst of times". Well, during final exams in college,
it's just the worst of times. Actually, it was mostly our own fault. We
waited until one or two nights before the exam to try and cram in all that
information that we should have been studying all along. Now, my room was
always Grand Central Station during our final days. Yes, you can take final
days two ways. I usually took pretty good notes in class, so everyone
jammed into my room to try and learn what there was to learn. Hey, the big
test was coming, man! We had to learn what was in all those lessons!
Wait! Isn't that backwards? You get the lessons first and then the test,
right? Well, in school, maybe, but not in God's training program for your
life. See, He approaches it in the reverse order. First, you get the test,
then you get the lessons. And because you may be experiencing one of God's
tests right now, that's something it will really help you to remember.
The Apostle Paul was reflecting on some big tests that he had been through
when he wrote our word for today from the Word of God in 2 Corinthians
1:8-9. In fact, you may be able to relate very personally to some of the
words he chooses to describe the tests that he was going through.
He says, "We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about the
hardships we suffered in the province of Asia. We were under great
pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired even of
life. Indeed, in our hearts we felt the sentence of death." Any feelings
you can relate to there? But God doesn't bring or allow a test in your life
just to test you. He's planning to use that test to take you to another
level in your relationship with Him.
Paul goes on here to tell us the lesson that he learned from the test, "But
this happened that..." If you're asking, "Why, Lord?" as Paul apparently
did, you'll want to pay particularly close attention to the answer he got.
"But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who
raises the dead." Paul tended to be, like a lot of us, a self-reliant,
"make it happen," "get to the goal" kind of person.
And that's not all bad except when it means that we're depending on our
ability to get it done. And that's why God had to take Paul "beyond our
ability." Maybe that's where He's got you right now so you will again
surrender to His strength, His plans, His timing, and His way of getting it
done.
If you'll focus on the lessons God is trying to teach you rather than
obsessing on the test, it will make your load a little easier to bear. It
will give you hope and meaning in your pain. His lesson may be greater
dependency on Him, or deepened sensitivity to help you become a wounded
healer of other hurting people, or the lesson may be greater humility -
putting you in a situation where the great helper has to open up to letting
others help you.
In school, you couldn't pass the test unless you had studied the lessons.
But in God's training of you to be His spiritual warrior, you can't learn
the lessons without having the test; maybe like the one He's entrusted to
you right now. You're going to have the test. You have no choice about
that. But if you're going to have the test, for goodness sake, don't miss
the lessons! If you are going to have the pain, don't miss God's point!
© 2007 Ron Hutchcraft.
Disclaimer
This email (and any attachment/s) is confidential and for viewing only by
the intended recipient/s. If you received this in error, please notify us
immediately and delete all copies. Any unauthorized access to, review,
reproduction, dissemination or other use of the information contained
herein is strictly prohibited. San Miguel Corporation (SMC) does not
guarantee the security of any information electronically transmitted.
SMC is not liable for the proper and complete transmission of the
information contained in this email nor for any delay in its receipt. The
use of email for any unlawful purpose or for any purpose other than as
permitted by SMC is strictly prohibited. Opinions, conclusions and
statements in this email are opinions, conclusions and statements of the
sender and are not necessarily given, endorsed, espoused or expressed by
SMC.
"From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has been
forcefully advancing, and forceful men lay hold of it."
Matthew 11:12
Do you want to be a worldchanger?
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/worldchangers2010/
Yahoo! Groups Links
<*> To visit your group on the web, go to:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/worldchangers2010/
<*> Your email settings:
Individual Email | Traditional
<*> To change settings online go to:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/worldchangers2010/join
(Yahoo! ID required)
<*> To change settings via email:
mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
<*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
<*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to:
http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
