There
is a difference between tempting and testing.
The “temptations” of our text refers to a test. The word in Greek is dokimion, which
means “proving”, as in a test drive. God
never tempts (see James 1.13).
Years ago my seminary professor, Dr. Graham, put the difference to his
class; he said that an easy way to remember the difference between a tempting
and a testing is:
a temptation is from Satan, and it is designed to make you fall;
a test is from God, and is designed to make you stand tall!
So,
when you have a difficult time before you, pay close attention which direction
you’re being driven. If away from God
and His kingdom, then it is designed to make you fall – it’s a temptation!
If the
difficult time creates a desire to find God’s will and way –
Ø to compel you
to prayer, and
Ø fellowship
with believers for comfort, and
Ø Bible study
for answers –
Well, that’s a
test. God is doing something! THAT’S why you can count
it all joy!
To become mature requires developing a patient spirit. One lady told about how driving seventeen
hours to the beach for a week's vacation took its toll on [her family],
especially four-year-old Katie. Strapped in her child seat for hours at a time,
she expressed the tedium [they] all felt when [the family] finally exited for
our motel. She plaintively asked, "Can I please be excused?"[1]
It is hard to accept the difficult
times, but becoming mature in the faith demands those times. The Message New Testament translates verse 4
this way:
So don’t try to get out of anything prematurely.
Let it do its
work so you become mature and well-developed, not deficient in any way.
We may kick and groan about difficulties in our lives,
but often that is what God is using in His perfect way to change
us into His useable servant.
A ship was wrecked, and the only survivor washed up on a
small uninhabited island. He was
exhausted. He cried out to God to save
him. Every day he scanned the horizon,
searching for help. Finally, he managed
to build a rough hut and put his few articles in that hut.
One day, coming home from hunting for food, he was stung
with grief to see his little hut in flames and a cloud of smoke. The worst had happened. But early the next day, a ship drew in and
rescued him.
He asked the crew, "How did you know I was
here?"
They replied, "We saw your smoke signal."
For You, Today…
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