Have you ever been fishing?  You know, the kind that involves a pole, bait, and a body of water where fish live.

What about phishing?  Have you ever been the recipient of a phishing exhibition?  This week, I received an email to my university account, and truthfully, the email felt odd, but even the ‘oddness’ did not stop my actions because I clicked open the email from a ‘supposed’ person in leadership.   AFTER I clicked open the email, I looked closer, seeing the WRONG email address attached to the sender.  It was then that I saw the truth.

‘Oh no,’ I thought, ‘I failed the test,’ allowing the truth to settle over me, the implication of the failed test I should have passed, but did not.  This ‘testing’ occurred on Wednesday, and yesterday, we received the results from the IT department.  Over ten percent failed.  I must admit, there was peace in knowing others also failed; however, the fact that I FAILED hurt.  Thank goodness, the test was just that—a test—and not a real phishing threat; nevertheless, the results of a failed tests were mine to receive, for my awareness and learning, and for my future.

In considering the testing, it makes me recall my young student who spoke about an upcoming mathematics exam and of his fear of failure.  During our conversation, he discussed his plan to study with a peer and of his hope of passing.  Two days after the exam, this same student came up before the start of class with a paper clutched in his hand.  “Look!  I passed,” he said with a wide smile, and seeing the “A” on his paper, I saw how he had passed WELL.

These “tests” have turned my thoughts to what the Bible has to say about our “testing.”  The psalmist wrote:

In rereading the story of Abram (Abraham), I found myself back at the beginning, in Genesis, where Abram’s generations are recorded.  I read how his father moved his family to the land of Ur of the Chaldeans, how Abram grew up and married a girl named Sarai, and was reminded of her barrenness.  This settled over me as I recalled my own barrenness for many years before God blessed us with a daughter. As I continued reading, I was reminded of the ten tests Abraham endured during his lifetime, with the first test beginning with a move to Egypt.

God already knows we can pass the test.  HE KNOWS! God knows our strengths, our past, our present, and our future.  GOD KNOWS EVERYTHING!  God knew where He was taking His servant Abram; God knew how He would bless Abram; and God knew how Abram’s faithfulness to pass the test would affect you & me (the future generations).

In studying about “testing,” I discovered so many Scripture passages about God’s testing of His saints.  Normally, I do not record through a list, but today, I am making an exception, hopeful that you will take out your copy of God’s Word to read through these verses.

• The 1^st Letter of John 4: 1-6
• The Letter of Paul to the Romans 12: 2
• The Book of Job 23:10
• The Letter of James 1: 12 & 1: 2-3
• The Proverbs 12: 3
• The 1^st Letter of Peter 1: 7
• The Psalms 26: 2
• The 1^st Letter of Peter 4: 12

God tests His children to know what’s in their hearts, to see if they will remain faithful and obedient to Him.  We are to remember:  GOD ALREADY KNOWS WHETHER WE WILL PASS OR FAIL THE TEST!

So, why does God test His children?  God tests us so that His children will know without a shadow of doubt that we can pass His test.  God tested Abram, and Abram set his mind that he would trust God over his own reasoning.  Abram (who became Abraham, God’s faithful servant) made up his mind to:

TRUST & OBEY GOD—NO MATTER WHAT!

To that same barren wife (Sarai), God brought a son (Isaac), and through Isaac and Jacob, the Israelite nation came to be.  Thus, let us recall that if we fail to pass a “testing of God,” then we struggle with sin in our disobedience to obey God.  However, when we pass the “testing, this brings forth the fruit of God’s Holy Spirit.

So, consider it like this scenario:

God hands us His Test.  We study the material before us, remembering part of what we need to know in order to pass.  We raise our hand, calling out to the Teacher, seeking His help, and the beautiful part is that HE PROVIDES US THE ANSWER WE NEED.  We only needed to ask HIM.  Time after time, throughout life, God will test His children, and sometimes we will not pass, forgetting to ask Him for His guidance.  We become frustrated; we may receive God’s discipline; and He may even hand us another follow-up test, another opportunity to be refined through the fire.  Over and Over and Over, God tests us, burning away our impurities, sanctifying His children, making us “fit” for heaven, and when this life is over, HE WILL COME TO BRING US HOME.