TEST-TAKING

How do you feel about "tests"? I have a dear friend enduring some extremely important medical tests this week. My older kids are immersed in study for a couple hours each day preparing for their tests in school (well, a guy can wish...right?). A brother in Christ from Pakistan, staying in our home, tells of being tested by radical muslims who frequently threaten his life and the lives of those he loves.

I've never looked forward to tests with eager anticipation. Yeah, I know they are necessary indicators of progress, but do you have to savor them? Today my devotional reading was from Judges 3:1-4. I'm still not sure how I feel about it. The Bible says:

"These are the nations the Lord left to test all of those Israelites who had not experienced any of the wars in Canaan (he did this only to teach warfare to the descendants of the Israelites who had not had previous battle experience)...They were left to test the Israelites to see whether they would obey the Lord's commands..."

To be honest, I kind of hoped that my last exam in Seminary would be my final exam in life. Of course, over the last couple of decades there have been many, many more tests, on a variety of topics and with varying levels of difficulty. I don't think God has written all of these exams, by the way. I'm quite sure Satan put together a few of the pop quizzes. But God has allowed them to be administered.

Unfortunately, I've not always aced those tests either. In some cases an "F" would have been way too generous. If we're honest, we'll admit how well we relate to the refrain appearing throughout the book of Judges: "Once again the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the Lord."

But have the tests made me more battle-worthy, like they did those young Israeli soldiers in the days of the Judges? I sure hope so. Here's the goal I'm holding on to..."the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete" (James 1:3,4). However we might feel about or perform in the tests of life, God promises to use them to mature and complete us in Christ.

Not only do they indicate our progress, the tests of life induce it. Although I've never looked forward to the test, I've always loved the sense of relief that comes when it's over. Here's what God says we have to look forward if we'll hold on to Him during the test - "Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer...the devil will...test you... Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you the crown of life" (Rev. 2:10).