That time when God puts you to the test.
Now we all go through different seasons of life and we can likely identify times (days…months…years) where we felt God was handing us more than was our fair share. We love to quote James 1:17 “Every good and perfect gift is from above…” and let’s not forget 1 Corinthians 10:13 “…He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear.” If not careful we can begin to paint a picture of God where God only brings good, and tests and trials and temptations are mild enough that we can work through them in our own strength and they won’t bring us to a breaking point. [The Biggest Lie that Christians Tell] But if you’ll read through the Bible anywhere you’ll find there is frequent mention of His people being brought through very big, breaking point tests.
I am trying to continue my journey through the Old Testament Commentary “Prophets and Kings”, however I am unsettled tonight. That feeling I get where my shoulders are hunched up, tension is wreaking havoc on my neck, it’s hard to focus even on the reading (which is why I’m writing right now instead) because my mind keeps skipping and my gut is clenched, my breathing is not calm and restful. Talk about a week of ‘testing!’ A lot of questioning my own actions, a lot of ‘consequences’ and questions. Where are the good promises in the Bible? God, I was already maxed out….are You seriously adding one…more…burden???
So, while reading tonight (again, the timing of our Wonderful Counselor is so amazing), I was reading about the prophet Elijah. God’s people (and more importantly, their leaders) were so brazenly worshiping false gods that God said “Enough! My people attribute the sustenance of life, the very rain and dew that falls, to a man-made god…so I will take it away to prove that I AM.” So Elijah went to the ruler and, while water was still plentiful, proclaimed God’s judgement “it shall not rain or dew until the God of Heaven says so.” Then if you remember, Elijah followed God’s commands to hide himself at a mountain brook.
And while I could comment on this section more, I’m skipping ahead to my reading tonight. The rain did indeed stop and the whole land was in a famine. Years had passed. Even Elijah’s secret source of water had dried up (remember this is the same God who had caused water to flow from rocks in the wilderness…there was a reason for the test that was to come) and so God now sent him to find food and water in a town where the God of Israel was not widely worshiped. And there was the poor woman who was preparing the final meal for herself and her son; it is written of her that “she was a believer in the true God and had walked in all the light that was shining on her pathway.” PK 129 (I’d love to write on this topic another day…maybe I will).
When you become really hungry and thirsty, when survival seems impossible and death inevitable, when you know you will have to talk with your sweet children that you can no longer provide for them, when no one seems to be coming to your rescue, when even praying for rain seems futile because you would needs grain to plant and water for weeks…the last thing you want to do is give up your last meal to a stranger so that they can have a last meal. The author writes “No greater test of faith than this could have been required.” PK 131
The prophet asked for food and water; she did not deny him but was honest, saying that truly there was enough for her and her son before they were to die, but she’d share it with Elijah. She undoubtedly had scrimped, saved, sold, borrowed, begged, eaten less…to try to make it for one more day. But she felt the testing of Jehovah. He whispered to her “do you trust me?”
And she passed the test! She followed that Law she knew “Love the Lord you God with all your heart, mind and soul, and your neighbor as yourself.” And she opened the door to miraculous sustenance until again there was blessed rain.
So have you hit that point? That point when you are pretty sure God has asked of you everything you could possibly afford to give. Your security. Your friends. Your family. Your profession. Your livelihood. Your faith. And you are hanging on, though losing faith that there is any way out of this situation. If you can only hang. on. a. little. longer. And then…God adds one more test. Oh Lord God…can we bear up?! We know at one time we maybe could have. But now we are so very weary. And God says ‘stand up child…share Jesus one more time…’
And we stand up and face The Test.
“And to all who, in time of trial and want, give sympathy and assistance to others more needy, God has promised great blessing. He has not changed. His power is no less now than in the days of Elijah.” PK 132
If you extend your soul to the hungry (physically, emotionally, spiritually)
And satisfy the afflicted soul
Then your light shall dawn in the darkness,
And your darkness shall be as the noonday.
The LORD will guide you continually,
And satisfy your soul in drought,
And strengthen your bones;
You shall be like a watered garden,
And like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail.”
Isaiah 58:10, 11
Stand Firm. Believe in God’s sustenance.
