Today’s Reading, Judges 3-5
Focal Scripture: Judges 3:2 “This was to teach the future generations of the Israelites how to fight in battle, especially those who had not fought before.”
We often look at testing as a bad place to be in our personal and professional lives. However, without testing how can we demonstrate that we know the information we need to be competent. I am not talking about a paper test that you just write down answers and can guess to get correct. I am talking about a test in real life. A test that has real consequences and rewards. A test that reveals who we really are to ourselves and to God.
In today’s reading we see that testing was coming the Israelites way. Groups of people who were left in the land would bring war against them. The purpose was to teach them how to fight and be prepared for battle. The only way to know how to fight is to actually fight. So the Lord in his wisdom put his people in situations where they must learn to be warriors not just travelers. Soldiers not just worshippers. They must embrace the holiness and preparedness.
When I speak with people about this subject they get testing and temptation confused. The Bible tells us that the Lord will not tempt us because he can’t be tempted by evil. However, the Lord will test us to find out if we are learning lessons and to prepare us for what lies ahead. I hope on a personal level you embrace the testing. It shows how much growth you have had in your faith.
Don’t get me wrong not every test is fun or enjoyable. Not every test ends the way we want. But every test does reveal our faith. It reveals our heart towards God. It reveals the areas we need to grow. It reveals if we are ready for battle. We often forget that our spiritual life is a battle. The enemy wants to destroy us but God wants to grow us. How we view biblical testing and the refining of our faith matters.
So if you are going through a test right now make sure you ask God what he wants you to learn. If you are not sure spend time in prayer. Tests will always be on the horizon. It is for our growth and benefit. Let’s approach life with a passion to grow from our testing and be prepared for battle.
Tomorrow, I plan on reading Judges 6-7
