Mar 13 - "Passing Tests"

1 Corinthians 10:1-13
"No testing has overtaken you that is not common to everyone. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tested beyond your strength, but with the testing he will also provide the way out so that you may be able to endure it."
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Do you ever feel like you are being tested? Are there times when you have been put in a tough situation where your strength, your sanity or your faith have been pushed to the brink?

I think we all have times when we say, "Lord, what is going on? Why are things so hard right now? Why does it feel like everything is against me?". During these times, it can take every ounce of our spirit to persevere and keep pushing through, until the rocky time has come to an end and we can look back, seeing with clear eyes what was to be learned or how we were strengthened.

One of my favorite movie quotes is from a couple of years back in the film Evan Almighty, the sequel to Bruce Almighty. In one scene, the wife of Steve Carell's character is having a tough time. Her husband has taken on the likeness of Noah and started building an Ark in the back yard. It has pushed her and her family to the brink and she is thinking about leaving her husband. She meets God, played by Morgan Freeman, as a waiter in a restaurant (I think) . She is sharing her troubles with him and he replies with what I believe is one of the wisest statements to ever come out of a Hollywood screenplay. He says:

"Let me ask you something. If someone prays for patience, do you think God gives them patience? Or does He give them the opportunity to be patient? If he prayed for courage, does God give him courage, or does He give him opportunities to be courageous? If someone prayed for their family to be closer, do you think God zaps them with warm fuzzy feelings, or does He give them opportunities to love each other?"

Brilliant!

So, dear friend, what fruit is your current struggle going to bear at the end of its time? Could it be that your "test" is actually an answer to a prayer? Recognize that even though you may feel like you are trying to past some test, have faith that these tests are only passing times which we sometimes go through, being refined in a crucible, coming out shining like gold.