Faith-bearing Seed for the Soul
"While the earth remaineth,
Seedtime and harvest
....shall not cease"

Genesis 8:22

Found Worthy to be Tested

When we are faithful to the Lord and fear Him, He is able to "get into

Satan's face" with us...sort of like a proud Father bragging on his child.

Job was such a man, found worthy of God to be tested.

Job1:1,3

In the land of Uz there lived a man whose name was Job. This man was

blameless and upright; he feared God and shunned evil. He was the

greatest man among all the people of the East.

God was AWARE of how committed Job was, so much so that He found Job worthy to be tested. Job's commitment to God was strong and complete. Job loved God with all of his heart; not for all that God had given him or for the protection God afforded him. We know this from the outcome of the extreme testing Job went through: Job stayed faithful to the Lord and God doubly restored all that he had lost in his time of being tested. It was at the Lord's suggestion that Satan tried Job. Can you just imagine GOD having such confidence in you to suggest to Satan to try to make you fall? What a man of faith Job was!

Job 1:6-12 (Emphsis mine)

One day the angels came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came with them. The Lord said to Satan, "Where have you come from?"

Satan answered the Lord, "From roaming through the earth and going back and forth in it."

Then the Lord said to Satan, "Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil."

"Does Job fear God for nothing?" Satan replied. "Have you not put a hedge around him and his household and everything he has? You have blessed the work of his hands, so that his flocks and herds are spread throughout the land. But stretch out your hand and strike everything he has, and he will surely curse you to your face."

The Lord said to Satan, "Very well, then, everything he has is in your hands, but on the man himself do not lay a finger." Then Satan went out from the presence of the Lord.

When we have been found worthy of God to have our faith tested, we can count on being severely tested, so why do we question such tests and  trials? They are inevitable, and they often come about because of our faithfulness to the Lord. We should, in a sense, be pleased that we have been found worthy to be tested...realizing that God knows our strength to stand against the wiles of the Devil and still stay faithful through it all.

Too often a person being tested is looked upon by the Christian community as someone who has failed God for one reason or another, when the truth is quite the contrary. A time to possibly be concerned about our right relationship with the Lord is if we are NOT going through tests and trials.

As it was with those who followed Jesus only for what He would do for them, and He sent them away; it is true for those who today follow Christ for what they can get out of Him, they too will inevitably fall away when  tested. Continuing to follow Him during times of testing means that you truly love Him and desire to obey Him no matter what the cost.

A most dangerous situation to be in, in these end days, is to have turned away and not even realize it...to be parrotting RELIGIOUS words, thoughts and actions without being close to Him... To be living Satan's lies, and not even know it. Before Christ returns for His bride, it tells us in Second Thessalonians 2:3 that He will not return, "except there come a falling away first..." Many will stop being faithful and will return to their own pleasures, and many will still be going to church acting religious.

II Timothy 3:1a,4,5 (Emphesis mine)

This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud......

Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of  God; Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof : from such turn away.

Have you been faithful to God and have gotten Satan's attention? Like Job, are you "going THROUGH it?" Rejoice! I'm convinced by this account in Job that you are going to make it through, and I believe the Lord is convinced so, too. He's allowed you to be tested so He can bless you doubly with things you know not of!

James 1:2-4 LB (Emphasis mine)

....is your life full of difficulties and temptations? THEN BE HAPPY, for when the way is rough, your patience has a chance to grow. So let it grow, and don't try to squirm out of your problems. For when your patience is finally in full bloom, then you will be ready for ANYTHING, STRONG IN CHARACTER, full and complete.

Selah!

Rooted and grounded in the love of Christ Jesus,

Marlene JuHaros,

Texas Seed Sower

Seed for Thought Devotionals are written as the Lord leads and are sent only if you request a subscription by e-mail.  

Would you like to subscribe to the TexasSower Devotional?  e-mail texassower@texassower.com and put "subscribe" in the subject line.

"Keep on sowing your seed, for you never know

which will grow--perhaps it all will."

Eccl. 11:6

return to the TexasSower home page

.

You are cordially invited to visit the   page for additonal inspiration readings and prayer..