Pass the Test

“Life is a grindstone. Whether it pulverizes or polishes you depends on what you’re made of.”
- Unknown

I recently heard this quote on the radio and it struck a nerve with me. I mean, look at it – really think about it. Doesn’t it almost seem to be picking a fight with you? I don’t know about you, but I don’t like this “do or die”, “put up or shut up” kind of tone. It seems to suggest that something I don’t want to face is just around the corner, waiting to pounce - something that will put me to the test.

I’ve never much cared for taking tests. Don’t get me wrong. It’s not like I had much anxiety about taking tests like some other kids did. I just never enjoyed having to prove what I learned. I just wanted to be left to the blissful process of discovery (learning), that’s all. Sometimes I feel the same way about my spiritual education. I love studying the Word, praying and interceding, praise and worship, even fellowship. But unfortunately (should I say that word?), none of these things can fully assure me of the authenticity of my faith. That can only be determined by how I handle the trials and the tests I encounter in life.

Well, wouldn’t you know it? I’ve been going through (yet another) test of my faith lately, and quite honestly, I’ve been really tempted to throw in the towel and call it a day on several occasions. I was becoming impatient, anxious, even depressed about my current circumstances. I know the promises that God has spoken to me, both corporately and privately, but until recently, they seemed to be fading in my mind. It looked like nothing was changing, even after all this time, and I was choosing to bow down under the pressure of the facts.

You know the facts, don’t you? They’re the mental teasers whose main job is to relentlessly remind you of the imminent impossibilities that are just too hard to overcome. They’re the joy snatchers that rob you of your desire to hope, to dream, or even to smile. Once they get their claws into your soul, you’re goin’ down if you don’t watch it.

Well, that’s where I was, but that’s not where I am now. PTL! You see, I’ve gotten a clue. It came through the memory of an old hymn we used to sing in church when I was a child:

In times like these, you need a Savior
In times like these, you need an anchor.
Be very sure. Be very sure.
Your anchor holds and grips the solid rock.
That rock is Jesus; yes, He’s the one.
That rock is Jesus; the only one.
Be very sure. Be very sure.
Your anchor holds and grips the solid rock.

I thought to myself, “That’s it! That’s what the problem is!” I had become so distracted by the what of it all that I had neglected to keep my hold (my focus) on the who of it all – Jesus. That old hymn, still nestled inside the recesses of my spirit since childhood, finally took form as a revelation for my present day situation.

Let me break it down… The anchor is my faith, and it keeps me tied to whatever it’s locked onto. From the moment I accepted Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior, He has been the rock to which my faith is tied. However, just like a boat can be tossed around on stormy waters and go adrift when it’s not properly anchored, I can become the same way when my faith is not properly anchored. In a nutshell, that’s really why the anchor is there; not to control the storm, but to control the boat while it’s in the storm.

Have the circumstances gotten better? No. Do I feel like dealing with them? No. But one good thing has happened. I am no longer manipulated by the facts because I have become reconnected with the Truth. You see, the Truth is not a thing or a concept, it’s a person. Jesus said “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life…” (John 14:6). He personifies the reality of God’s love, His power, and His promise. He is the standard by which our spiritual maturity is measured.

The simple truth is that life is going to bring many tests our way, and whether or not we want to take them is of no consequence to God. Why not? Doesn’t He care about what we’re going through? Of course He does, but I hope you come to understand, as I have, that God doesn’t allow testing in our lives so He can find out how faithful He is. He allows the testing so that we can find out how faithful we are. As hard as it is to admit, without the tests of life, we really don’t know who we are, or who God is, for that matter.

So I encourage you to do what I am now encouraged to do. Maintain your grip of faith in Christ, especially when things are going well, because when the storm hits (and it will!) you won’t be overcome. You will overcome!

Until next time, meditate on The Apostle Paul’s crash course on How to Pass the Test:

Hebrews 12:2-3, The Message Bible

2-3Keep your eyes on Jesus, who both began and finished this race we're in. Study how he did it. Because he never lost sight of where he was headed—that exhilarating finish in and with God—he could put up with anything along the way: Cross, shame, whatever. And now he's there, in the place of honor, right alongside God. When you find yourselves flagging in your faith, go over that story again, item by item, that long litany of hostility he plowed through. That will shoot adrenaline into your souls!

P.S. Let me know your thoughts... Leave a comment.

Get A Grip!

Have you ever come across a phrase in the Bible that keeps popping up all the time and you wondered, “What does that really mean?” You know it’s got to be important (hence the frequent appearances) but you don’t quite feel like you “get it”.

Well that’s how I felt about the phrase hold fast. These two words are found together in several scriptures throughout the Bible; mainly the King James Version. Here’s just a few of them:

Job 2:3 “…and still he holdeth fast his integrity…”

Proverbs 4:13 “Take fast hold of instruction; let her not go…”

I Thessalonians 5:21 “Prove all things; hold fast that which is good.”

Now when I go into “seeking mode” with the Holy Spirit about the true meaning of something, I usually get an answer in one of two ways: revelation or application. This time it was by application.

Our truck had been having some sort of an electrical shortage lately. We’d drive it someplace and it would work just fine. But when we’d get back in to start it up again, it wouldn’t make a sound. We went down a list of possible causes, and my husband concluded that it must be the battery. So he took it to have the battery tested and found out there was no problem with it all. It was still in good shape.

For the next few days afterwards, the truck ran great. But it wasn’t long until the same thing happened again; and again, my husband was led to check the battery. Everything looked fine, that is until he looked a little closer. It turns out that one of the posts that the cable hooks up to had a loose bolt. Now at the time, he didn’t have any tools to tighten it with, so he had to just use his fingers to try to screw it on as best he could. However, that only held for a little while, and then the same problem occurred again. And every time we reconnected the battery cable, we’d have to reset everything again (the alarm, the clock, the radio).

Finally, he got a wrench, and with a few good hard turns, our problem was solved. Apparently the everyday bumps and rattles the truck encountered while on the move were loosening the bolt’s grip little by little until it eventually caused a disruption in power.

That’s when it hit me! That’s the true meaning of the phrase “hold fast”. It means to get a firm grip on something. As a matter of fact, isn’t that what you tell someone when you want them to focus or take something seriously? You say, “Get a grip, will ya!” or “Girl, get a grip on reality!”
Do you find that sometimes you’ve lost your grip in your spiritual walk? I do.

It happens just like it did with that bolt on our truck’s battery. The everyday bumps and rattles of life can sometimes shake me loose from what I know to be true about God and His loving care for me. And if I don’t keep a firm grip of faith on what He’s said, my flesh will start twisting my thoughts in the other direction. The end result (which was the enemy’s goal all along) is to separate me from my power source and stop me from continuing down the path that God has me on. And again, just like with our truck, I have to “reset” my mind on the Truth instead of the facts in order for me to get back to where I need to be in my faith walk. Guess what happens then? My spiritual discernment (alarm) is more sensitive and I don’t get led around by my emotions. I’m better able to sense the season God has me in and I’m not as easily tempted to get move ahead of His timing (clock). I’m able to tune into what the Holy Spirit is saying because God’s Word is settled in my heart (radio).

The key is spiritual maintenance. If we’d be honest, we’d have to admit that most times we’re so focused on the journey that we neglect to maintain our connection (through prayer and hearing God’s heart through His Word). Eventually, that’s what disrupts the manifestation of God’s power in our lives.

So I encourage you today to get (and keep) a grip on the timeless principles of faith that are laid all throughout the Word of God. Get a grip on the reality that God loves you and has nothing but good thoughts toward you that will lead you into His wonderful plan for your life (Jeremiah 29:11). Then when life shakes things up a bit, you’ll still be well-connected to the power of God that keeps you going.

I think The Message Bible puts it best:
“Let's keep a firm grip on the promises that keep us going. He always keeps his word.”
(Hebrews 10:23)