“Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.” Hebrews 12:11 NKJV
We have all heard the expression, “the teacher is always quiet during the test”. I recently experienced a period of quietness in my relationship with Jesus. He wasn’t saying anything. What was He trying to teach me? I don’t like it when He is quiet. During this time, I went through a series of tests, some small, some quite large. My flesh was the instigator, as always. I had many temptations thrown at me. The Word says that the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak (Matthew 26:41). It also says that there is a war going on between the flesh and spirit.
Stupid flesh! It just wants me to dwell in the world of creature comforts while I ignore the call of God on my life. Should I lay around eating candy and watching B movies on TV, or should I get up, eat an apple, and go to the gym? Should I read that steamy novel, or should I read the Word?
Garbage in, garbage out. If we walk in the Spirit, we will not fulfill the lusts of the flesh. (Galatians 5:16) With the Teacher’s help I passed these tests after having to redo some of them a few times.
The Holy Spirit, my Teacher, taught me several amazing lessons as a result of the tests:
The flesh will always war against the spirit.
The flesh will always try to justify itself.
The only way to overcome the flesh is always to walk in the Spirit.
I made the choice not to wander from His Spirit ever again.
And, truly, where can I go from His Spirit?
Prayer:
“Lord, thank you for the tests of our faith because they actually draw us closer to You. They give us a clarified vision of Your Word and they help us to better follow You.”
In Jesus’ Mighty Name,
AMEN!
Final Thoughts:
The tests, while not fun at the time, taught me these lessons in a very personal way so that they were written indelibly upon my heart. My God taught me lovingly and patiently so that I would come into a closer relationship with Him.
Be Greatly Blessed!
