1 Kings 3:25-28
“Cut the baby in half! That way each of you can have part of him.”
“Please don’t kill my son,” the baby’s mother screamed. “Your Majesty, I love him very much, but give him to her. Just don’t kill him.”
The other woman shouted, “Go ahead and cut him in half. Then neither of us will have the baby.”
Solomon said, “Don’t kill the baby.” Then he pointed to the first woman, “She is his real mother. Give the baby to her.”
Everyone in Israel was amazed when they heard how Solomon had made his decision. They realized that God had given him wisdom to judge fairly.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
A friend of mine recently took a test to acquire further certification for her job. She was telling me about the questions and how confusing some of them were. She tried to think through the multiple choice answers and select the one that made the most sense. Sometimes, she felt a very clear indication in one direction or another. But there were some questions where several choices seemed plausible, and she truly had to guess at the answer.
We’ve all been there… if not an actual pencil-and-paper test, there have been times when we had to make a choice, and several options seemed reasonable – or confusing! I really like this story in 1 Kings about the two women who went before King Solomon. Both had given birth to babies at approximately the same time. One rolled over on her infant in the night and smothered him/her. In a panic, she got up and swapped babies with the other woman. Both mothers insisted to King Solomon that the living baby was theirs.
Think about it… there was no way King Solomon could know which woman was truly the mother of this infant - based on the information he had been given. There was a 50-50 chance of getting this right… or wrong! The scripture doesn’t tell us that Solomon paused to talk to God about this… but it does say that God gave him the wisdom to make the right choice. And this is where we find our message for today… when we listen to God, He will give us wise answers. When we stay in close contact with God and pray about everything, He will provide us with the necessary wisdom – and courage – to make the right decisions.
Sometimes, these choices will be abundantly clear… other times, we will have to take a leap of faith and trust that God is leading us. I cannot imagine that Solomon was eager to tell these women to “cut the baby in half” and each take a portion. Yet that was the perfect way to get a “confession” from the “wannabe” mother. Sometimes, we have to “call a bluff”…take a risk…make a choice that is unpopular – or even scary! If we feel that God is leading us in this direction, we must trust that He will manage the outcome and help us deal with the consequences.
I can tell you firsthand that letting God guide our choices can be daunting – and at times, almost petrifying! But I can also tell you that I have never regretted following His lead. And the more that I listen to God… the more clearly I hear His voice. I find “signs” that He is directing my choices, and I experience an inexplicable peace in the options I select… even the scary ones!
Life is often like my friend’s certification exam… fraught with multiple choices that all seem possible – and/or confusing. Every day we make decisions that leave us wondering if we did the right thing. Thankfully, this will probably never extend to selecting to cut a baby in half! But when we call on God to guide us – and trust His direction – we can be satisfied that we have chosen well in the end. With God’s wisdom to judge things fairly, we can live with courage and confidence. Who is guiding your choices today?
©2013 Debbie Robus
Showing posts with label tests. Show all posts
Showing posts with label tests. Show all posts
Daily Devotional for August 24, 2012
James 1:12-15
Anyone who meets a testing challenge head-on and manages to stick it out is mighty fortunate. For such persons loyally in love with God, the reward is life and more life.
Don't let anyone under pressure to give in to evil say, "God is trying to trip me up." God is impervious to evil, and puts evil in no one's way. The temptation to give in to evil comes from us and only us. We have no one to blame but the leering, seducing flare-up of our own lust. Lust gets pregnant, and has a baby: sin! Sin grows up to adulthood, and becomes a real killer.
Scripture quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO. All rights reserved.
Do you understand the difference between a test and a temptation? Let’s say you decide to lose twenty pounds by practicing portion control and exercising five days a week. It will be a test of your determination to stick with the routine and develop the habit of eating less and working out regularly. If someone invites you to go out for an all-you-can-eat-buffet dinner or encourages you to skip a workout to do something you consider more fun, these would be thought of as temptations.
In Spiritual terms, how you meet challenges and trials that come along could be considered a test of your faith in God. He allows us to endure certain troubles and hardships to see if we will truly operate in faith and courage… if we will rely on Him to equip us to handle whatever burdens we face. God doesn’t cause these situations, but He can use them to see how fully we trust Him to meet our needs. Sometimes we are so overwhelmed by our hardships that we throw up our hands and ask, “What’s the point?” We turn to alcohol, drugs, gambling or spending money we don’t have… we drive too fast and take unnecessary risks, spend too much money on things we don’t need, stop studying - or quit school altogether - or we give up on getting fit and healthy, go back to eating whatever we please, and stop exercising.
When we do this, we have succumbed to temptation. And we have no one to blame for the outcome but ourselves. We have given in to evil and the lure of Satan, and we are operating in sin. Understand the difference. It is one thing to say that, “God is testing me,” and quite another to state that “God is trying to trip me up.” The last statement simply is not true.
When we start to understand that God doesn’t operate in temptation, we realize that to succumb to the devil’s wiles and seduction disavows our faith in God. We are denying His ability to strengthen and equip us to meet any and all challenges. In other words, when we give in to temptation, we fail the test.
I don’t ever want to dishonor God. I most certainly don’t want to grieve Him. I’ll be the first to admit that some of His tests are really, really hard! But the rewards are so worth the effort. God’s love, grace and mercy will overcome any and all obstacles to achieving success. So the question for all of us today is this… “Are we operating in faith and stepping up to the plate to accept God’s tests… or have we yielded to the temptations of the devil?”
Tests and temptations are NOT the same thing. Be certain you know the difference… and always make the right choices.
©2012 Debbie Robus
Anyone who meets a testing challenge head-on and manages to stick it out is mighty fortunate. For such persons loyally in love with God, the reward is life and more life.
Don't let anyone under pressure to give in to evil say, "God is trying to trip me up." God is impervious to evil, and puts evil in no one's way. The temptation to give in to evil comes from us and only us. We have no one to blame but the leering, seducing flare-up of our own lust. Lust gets pregnant, and has a baby: sin! Sin grows up to adulthood, and becomes a real killer.
Scripture quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO. All rights reserved.
Do you understand the difference between a test and a temptation? Let’s say you decide to lose twenty pounds by practicing portion control and exercising five days a week. It will be a test of your determination to stick with the routine and develop the habit of eating less and working out regularly. If someone invites you to go out for an all-you-can-eat-buffet dinner or encourages you to skip a workout to do something you consider more fun, these would be thought of as temptations.
In Spiritual terms, how you meet challenges and trials that come along could be considered a test of your faith in God. He allows us to endure certain troubles and hardships to see if we will truly operate in faith and courage… if we will rely on Him to equip us to handle whatever burdens we face. God doesn’t cause these situations, but He can use them to see how fully we trust Him to meet our needs. Sometimes we are so overwhelmed by our hardships that we throw up our hands and ask, “What’s the point?” We turn to alcohol, drugs, gambling or spending money we don’t have… we drive too fast and take unnecessary risks, spend too much money on things we don’t need, stop studying - or quit school altogether - or we give up on getting fit and healthy, go back to eating whatever we please, and stop exercising.
When we do this, we have succumbed to temptation. And we have no one to blame for the outcome but ourselves. We have given in to evil and the lure of Satan, and we are operating in sin. Understand the difference. It is one thing to say that, “God is testing me,” and quite another to state that “God is trying to trip me up.” The last statement simply is not true.
When we start to understand that God doesn’t operate in temptation, we realize that to succumb to the devil’s wiles and seduction disavows our faith in God. We are denying His ability to strengthen and equip us to meet any and all challenges. In other words, when we give in to temptation, we fail the test.
I don’t ever want to dishonor God. I most certainly don’t want to grieve Him. I’ll be the first to admit that some of His tests are really, really hard! But the rewards are so worth the effort. God’s love, grace and mercy will overcome any and all obstacles to achieving success. So the question for all of us today is this… “Are we operating in faith and stepping up to the plate to accept God’s tests… or have we yielded to the temptations of the devil?”
Tests and temptations are NOT the same thing. Be certain you know the difference… and always make the right choices.
©2012 Debbie Robus
Daily Devotional for August 9, 2011
John 6:1-6
Jesus crossed Lake Galilee, which was also known as Lake Tiberias. A large crowd had seen him work miracles to heal the sick, and those people went with him. It was almost time for the Jewish festival of Passover, and Jesus went up on a mountain with his disciples and sat down. When Jesus saw the large crowd coming toward him, he asked Philip, "Where will we get enough food to feed all these people?" He said this to test Philip, since he already knew what he was going to do.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
Have you ever been in a dilemma, and you prayed, “LORD, what is going to happen?” You asked this question in a state of worry… as in, “How will I ever get out of this mess?” or “How can there possibly be a good outcome in this situation?” Now let me ask you this… later, when you looked back at how well things actually did come together… and how beautifully God orchestrated it all… weren’t you a little embarrassed at your lack of faith? Didn’t you feel a little foolish for wringing your hands and being so doubtful?
I think that God sometimes allows us to behave like this. I think that He often plants these questions in our heads just to see how we will react… and whether our faith is strong. I believe He teaches us in these moments… and yes, embarrasses us a bit, so that the next time around, we’ll remember how generous He is to us. Hopefully, we will remember that God is faithful to keep His promises and meet our every need.
I also find it funny that in this particular instance, God not only fed all of the people… he provided leftovers. That’s how God operates… in abundance. Not only do we look back and see that He met our needs and answered our prayers… in many instances, He exceeded what was promised and expected!
My challenge today is for us to begin to operate more in faith… to be able to answer the “test questions” with confidence that “all will be well - with God in control.” We say we can do all things through Christ Jesus, who strengthens us… now it’s time to really prove it. When Jesus asks you a test question, will you give the right answer?
©2011 Debbie Robus
Jesus crossed Lake Galilee, which was also known as Lake Tiberias. A large crowd had seen him work miracles to heal the sick, and those people went with him. It was almost time for the Jewish festival of Passover, and Jesus went up on a mountain with his disciples and sat down. When Jesus saw the large crowd coming toward him, he asked Philip, "Where will we get enough food to feed all these people?" He said this to test Philip, since he already knew what he was going to do.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
Have you ever been in a dilemma, and you prayed, “LORD, what is going to happen?” You asked this question in a state of worry… as in, “How will I ever get out of this mess?” or “How can there possibly be a good outcome in this situation?” Now let me ask you this… later, when you looked back at how well things actually did come together… and how beautifully God orchestrated it all… weren’t you a little embarrassed at your lack of faith? Didn’t you feel a little foolish for wringing your hands and being so doubtful?
I think that God sometimes allows us to behave like this. I think that He often plants these questions in our heads just to see how we will react… and whether our faith is strong. I believe He teaches us in these moments… and yes, embarrasses us a bit, so that the next time around, we’ll remember how generous He is to us. Hopefully, we will remember that God is faithful to keep His promises and meet our every need.
I also find it funny that in this particular instance, God not only fed all of the people… he provided leftovers. That’s how God operates… in abundance. Not only do we look back and see that He met our needs and answered our prayers… in many instances, He exceeded what was promised and expected!
My challenge today is for us to begin to operate more in faith… to be able to answer the “test questions” with confidence that “all will be well - with God in control.” We say we can do all things through Christ Jesus, who strengthens us… now it’s time to really prove it. When Jesus asks you a test question, will you give the right answer?
©2011 Debbie Robus
Daily Devotional for April 1, 2011
Deuteronomy 8:1-5
Keep and live out the entire commandment that I'm commanding you today so that you'll live and prosper and enter and own the land that GOD promised to your ancestors. Remember every road that GOD led you on for those forty years in the wilderness, pushing you to your limits, testing you so that he would know what you were made of, whether you would keep his commandments or not. He put you through hard times. He made you go hungry. Then he fed you with manna, something neither you nor your parents knew anything about, so you would learn that men and women don't live by bread only; we live by every word that comes from GOD's mouth. Your clothes didn't wear out and your feet didn't blister those forty years. You learned deep in your heart that GOD disciplines you in the same ways a father disciplines his child.
Scripture quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO. All rights reserved.
We’re probably at or near mid-term for a lot of students… and that means one thing – tests. Why do we have tests anyway? What purpose do they serve? Tests are a means for the instructor to determine whether or not we have learned the lessons that were given. If your experience is anything like mine, there will be tests that push your limits… times you felt poorly prepared… and maybe some near failures. But hopefully you will muster the courage and determination to keep going… to forge ahead… to try again. And in the end… you will learn many things.
The age old question for many of us is, “Why must God test me?” We wonder… “Why we are allowed to suffer, to falter, and sometimes to fail?” We ask each other – and ourselves – why relationships don’t work out… why plans don’t materialize… why we don’t get this job or that scholarship…why people have to get sick and/or die…and we ask God, “Why did You let this happen?”
The answer is pretty clear. God tests us to strengthen us. He wants to see if we are really walking in faith… or if we are just playing along and giving Him lip service. He wants to ensure that we have what it takes to depend on Him alone… and not our own strength and abilities. If God never tested us, we would never grow in our relationship with Him. If everything ran along smoothly – as God could certainly accomplish – we would become so arrogant and sure of our own capabilities that we would not fully trust in God to give us what we need.
So the tests come… to all of us. Somehow, knowing WHY we are being tested helps me to stay confident and optimistic. Knowing that God is using my challenges to help me grow more in my relationship with Him gives me courage… and a desire to say, “Bring it on, LORD! I know You won’t give me more than I can handle!”
I’m like most people… I’ve never liked tests… and I am sure I won’t like all of the “exams” that God presents to me in my lifetime. If I stay faithful and persevere… if I call on God to help me through each challenge and truly believe in Him to do so… I have no doubt that someday He will reward me with a passing grade. God’s grace is sufficient for all of my needs… and He will meet all of yours as well.
©2011 Debbie Robus
Keep and live out the entire commandment that I'm commanding you today so that you'll live and prosper and enter and own the land that GOD promised to your ancestors. Remember every road that GOD led you on for those forty years in the wilderness, pushing you to your limits, testing you so that he would know what you were made of, whether you would keep his commandments or not. He put you through hard times. He made you go hungry. Then he fed you with manna, something neither you nor your parents knew anything about, so you would learn that men and women don't live by bread only; we live by every word that comes from GOD's mouth. Your clothes didn't wear out and your feet didn't blister those forty years. You learned deep in your heart that GOD disciplines you in the same ways a father disciplines his child.
Scripture quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO. All rights reserved.
We’re probably at or near mid-term for a lot of students… and that means one thing – tests. Why do we have tests anyway? What purpose do they serve? Tests are a means for the instructor to determine whether or not we have learned the lessons that were given. If your experience is anything like mine, there will be tests that push your limits… times you felt poorly prepared… and maybe some near failures. But hopefully you will muster the courage and determination to keep going… to forge ahead… to try again. And in the end… you will learn many things.
The age old question for many of us is, “Why must God test me?” We wonder… “Why we are allowed to suffer, to falter, and sometimes to fail?” We ask each other – and ourselves – why relationships don’t work out… why plans don’t materialize… why we don’t get this job or that scholarship…why people have to get sick and/or die…and we ask God, “Why did You let this happen?”
The answer is pretty clear. God tests us to strengthen us. He wants to see if we are really walking in faith… or if we are just playing along and giving Him lip service. He wants to ensure that we have what it takes to depend on Him alone… and not our own strength and abilities. If God never tested us, we would never grow in our relationship with Him. If everything ran along smoothly – as God could certainly accomplish – we would become so arrogant and sure of our own capabilities that we would not fully trust in God to give us what we need.
So the tests come… to all of us. Somehow, knowing WHY we are being tested helps me to stay confident and optimistic. Knowing that God is using my challenges to help me grow more in my relationship with Him gives me courage… and a desire to say, “Bring it on, LORD! I know You won’t give me more than I can handle!”
I’m like most people… I’ve never liked tests… and I am sure I won’t like all of the “exams” that God presents to me in my lifetime. If I stay faithful and persevere… if I call on God to help me through each challenge and truly believe in Him to do so… I have no doubt that someday He will reward me with a passing grade. God’s grace is sufficient for all of my needs… and He will meet all of yours as well.
©2011 Debbie Robus
Daily Devotional for March 15, 2011
Psalm 51:1-2
You are kind, God! Please have pity on me. You are always merciful! Please wipe away my sins. Wash me clean from all of my sin and guilt.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
Every year when I revisit The Purpose Driven Life, I gain new insights. God continues to show me things through His word and individual studies of the Bible and Christian life. These last few days, I’ve been reminded of our importance to God and how forgiving He can be. If you think for one minute that you are not important to God, you are sadly mistaken. And if you think He can’t forgive you for whatever mistakes you have made, you are doubly wrong.
“But I keep being tested,” you may say. “Why would God test me and allow life to be so hard and hurtful if He really loves me?” One of my early studies this week spoke about testing, and Pastor Warren said this… “You will be tested by major changes, delayed promises, impossible problems, unanswered prayers, underserved criticism, and even senseless tragedies. A very important test is how you act when you can’t feel God’s presence in your life. God never allows the tests you face to be greater than the grace He gives you to handle them.”
So what does this mean for us? Does this mean God wants us to suffer and make mistakes? First of all, our “suffering” can never come close to the suffering Jesus endured on our behalf… no matter how bad we feel our situation may be. And secondly, God doesn’t make mistakes… and He doesn’t do things on a whim. We can’t begin to understand His purposes… and that is the point. He wants us to trust Him… to consider every single incident in our lives as not only a test, but an opportunity to accomplish His will.
So when you are confronted with illness, an unpleasant boss or co-worker, a really difficult teacher, or even a parent you feel is being unreasonable, you have an opportunity to go one of two ways… you can honor your faith in God and operate in love, grace and mercy, or you can let the devil have control and wallow in anger, self-pity, frustration, and more. When things don’t go like you want – you lose your job and can’t find another – or you don’t get the job you want… when your relationships seem to fall apart… when “life” seems to kick you in the gut… these are not just “tests” – they are opportunities.
Ask God to show you how to serve Him in even the most insignificant events… from school work to cleaning your room/home/car to doing your very best in the workplace and your community. Consider the daily “tests” of life to be opportunities for growth – and understand that when you “fail” them or fall short, God is ready to forgive you and strengthen you for the next time. The key is seeking Him… calling on God to forgive you and help you to grow… and following through in a genuine effort to do better afterward.
Rick Warren says “Life is about letting God use you for HIS purposes – not your using Him for your own.” Are you focusing on God and trusting Him to guide your daily choices? Have you asked Him to forgive you and restore you to a stronger Christian walk? Isn’t today a good time to start?
©2011 Debbie Robus
You are kind, God! Please have pity on me. You are always merciful! Please wipe away my sins. Wash me clean from all of my sin and guilt.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
Every year when I revisit The Purpose Driven Life, I gain new insights. God continues to show me things through His word and individual studies of the Bible and Christian life. These last few days, I’ve been reminded of our importance to God and how forgiving He can be. If you think for one minute that you are not important to God, you are sadly mistaken. And if you think He can’t forgive you for whatever mistakes you have made, you are doubly wrong.
“But I keep being tested,” you may say. “Why would God test me and allow life to be so hard and hurtful if He really loves me?” One of my early studies this week spoke about testing, and Pastor Warren said this… “You will be tested by major changes, delayed promises, impossible problems, unanswered prayers, underserved criticism, and even senseless tragedies. A very important test is how you act when you can’t feel God’s presence in your life. God never allows the tests you face to be greater than the grace He gives you to handle them.”
So what does this mean for us? Does this mean God wants us to suffer and make mistakes? First of all, our “suffering” can never come close to the suffering Jesus endured on our behalf… no matter how bad we feel our situation may be. And secondly, God doesn’t make mistakes… and He doesn’t do things on a whim. We can’t begin to understand His purposes… and that is the point. He wants us to trust Him… to consider every single incident in our lives as not only a test, but an opportunity to accomplish His will.
So when you are confronted with illness, an unpleasant boss or co-worker, a really difficult teacher, or even a parent you feel is being unreasonable, you have an opportunity to go one of two ways… you can honor your faith in God and operate in love, grace and mercy, or you can let the devil have control and wallow in anger, self-pity, frustration, and more. When things don’t go like you want – you lose your job and can’t find another – or you don’t get the job you want… when your relationships seem to fall apart… when “life” seems to kick you in the gut… these are not just “tests” – they are opportunities.
Ask God to show you how to serve Him in even the most insignificant events… from school work to cleaning your room/home/car to doing your very best in the workplace and your community. Consider the daily “tests” of life to be opportunities for growth – and understand that when you “fail” them or fall short, God is ready to forgive you and strengthen you for the next time. The key is seeking Him… calling on God to forgive you and help you to grow… and following through in a genuine effort to do better afterward.
Rick Warren says “Life is about letting God use you for HIS purposes – not your using Him for your own.” Are you focusing on God and trusting Him to guide your daily choices? Have you asked Him to forgive you and restore you to a stronger Christian walk? Isn’t today a good time to start?
©2011 Debbie Robus
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