Reverend Fred Knox
“It’s Just a Test”
Matthew 15:21-28 (NLT)
In your life, you’ll be put to the test. God will allow you to go through hardships to see if you’re approved.
*Perseverance-God decides if you’re ready to move to the next level by how you handle the test. The option is yours and the outcome is based on your actions. Don’t feel bad if you don’t make the right decision sometimes. Can you persevere when all hell is coming up against you?
*Endurance-God sets tasks to test your endurance, and problems in your life to see how you react. Do you react with your flesh, or do you recognize the enemy and react by praying and taking it to God? Take it to the Lord in prayer because he’s looking to see how planted you are. Can you endure, or do you cry and run when things get hard? Your actions will determine your blessings and tribulations. Your attitude will determine your altitude. How you go through and the ability to trust God’s word and stand on his promises will determine where you are in God. In reality, it’s only a test. God is trying to teach you to trust and endure. God is patient and perfect in his will, he is not going to force you to do as he wishes, he will allow you to go through to ensure you have learned your lesson. It is the test of faith.
*Wait on the Lord- It’s God’s intention for you to walk by faith not by sight, trusting in him to make you be more like Christ every day. You don’t like waiting, but that is just the test God puts you through, waiting, for the answer and he brings you through. Will you wait when you don’t get your answer right away? Will you wait on the Lord or be moved by your own understanding? God’s timing and ways are different from yours. You Ishmael’s in your life that you are dealing with because you did not wait on God. Every test you pass brings you closer to God.
