Times of Testing

Since becoming a believer many years ago, trials in life have certainly increased.  One could argue that as a person grows older, trials increase as a natural phenomenon due to more life experiences and aging.  This certainly is  true.  But I have found in my own testimony and that of other believers, that the fiery furnace seems to heat up more, at the point of conversion and especially when we are called to a specific ministry work.

Ministry work can fall under many categories from marriage to parenting; pastoring; teaching Sunday School; leading Bible studies, mentoring; homeschooling, serving in the church in any capacity; missions work, or writing for the glory of God whether it be books or blog posts.

TIMES OF TESTING

• Soon after surrendering my life to Christ, I felt the Holy Spirit leading me to homeschool.   Midway through the homeschool year, I started exhibiting concerning symptoms - dizziness, headaches and extreme fatigue.  I  was too weak to walk up the hall without my husband holding on to me.  It even took a lot out of me to talk on the phone!  Most days I would homeschool lying down on the couch.  I was afflicted with this mystery illness for six weeks!  I was hospitalized for a day, but the doctors couldn't come up with a definitive diagnosis.

The Lord sent comfort...  My friend and prayer partner seemed to be afflicted with a very similar illness!  We were able to encourage one another because we were going through the same thing - together.

But there is more to my mystery illness story...

• When I arrived home from the hospital, still weak and spent, I laid down on the couch to rest.  My husband had turned the oven on to make a roast.  A few hours later, our carbon monoxide detector went off.  {We had only just bought our first one a few weeks prior.  This was years ago before carbon monoxide detectors were common in homes.}  We called the fire department to have the house checked.  I remember when the ambulance pulled up, I just wanted to crawl into it and have them take me back to the hospital...  When the fire department saw me on the couch, they were concerned I was overcome with carbon monoxide, but we explained I had just come home from the hospital and was already sick.  It turned out our house's carbon monoxide levels were off the charts!  It was due to a faulty gas valve from our oven.

Had we not bought the carbon monoxide detector just a few weeks earlier, the outcome could have been very different...  The Lord protected me and my family.

{For those of you that might be curious, I don't believe the gas leak had anything to do with my headaches, dizziness and extreme fatigue.  It was just a bad coincidence...}

• My husband and I were asked to prepare our testimonies for an upcoming joint hymn sing service.  I had never spoken before a large group of people before.  It was an extremely anxiety provoking prospect!  Interestingly, right around the time we were asked to share, I had discovered a lump in my neck that turned out to be a very large thyroid nodule.  The weeks between biopsy tests and not knowing whether or not I had thyroid cancer were, of course, very difficult and frightening.  On top of that, I was anxious about my upcoming public speaking appointment. 

• During those weeks of medical tests, the Lord sent me on a journey.  The first biopsy results did not yield enough of a specimen to make a proper diagnosis.  After the biopsy, the nodule filled back up, bigger than the previous time.  The doctor warned me that if the second biopsy didn't yield results {and he was not at all optimistic that it would}, I would need to have a thyroidectomy in prophylactic treatment of the suspicious nodule due to it's large size. 

My thyroid situation was put on several church's prayer chains.  When the second biopsy results were read, not only did they yield enough specimen that showed no cancer, the thyroid nodule had reduced greatly in size.  We were able to testify to the doctor what God had done through the prayers of His people.

As I stood before over 100 people at the joint hymn sing, biopsy bandage still on my neck, not only was I able to give my testimony of how God healed me spiritually through His saving grace, but I was able to testify about how the Lord had healed me physically through the prayers of the saints.

• Without fail, whenever the ladies Bible study would begin, where I served as a group leader, the trials would come; not just for me, but all of the group leaders.  Each Tuesday we would meet together to go over the Bible lesson and have a time of prayer and inevitably, we were all going through "bigger than usual" stuff as we lifted those prayer requests to the Lord.

Throughout the coming months, as we gathered to meet and pray, inevitably praises would be lifted up regarding how the Lord was working in those "bigger than usual" circumstances - all glory to Him.

• A few months after my husband was called to Pastor a small country church, he suffered a carotid dissection which led to a stroke;  a stroke that effected the planning and organizing part of his brain.  Writing sermons and preaching definitely requires the ability to plan and organize... 

The neurologist told my husband that the exercise of writing and delivering sermons would actually help to re-strengthen the planning and organizing part of his brain.

{If you would like to read more about how God upheld my husband and I through this experience, please visit the blog post here.}  

These are some of the most severe times of testing I have endured...  But as you can see, the Lord used each one of those experiences so that my husband and I would not operate in our own strength, but depend on His.

Sometimes when sharing before a large group or in a ministry position, we can get puffed up or try to do the work all on our own, leaving God behind...

But he sends a thorn...

So to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations,[a] a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited. 8 Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. 9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”

2 Corinthians 12:7-9

These trials came to my mind today as I was doing my Bible study homework from Tim Keller's book, Judges for You.  I had just read the following account:

21 I also will no longer drive out before them any of the nations which Joshua left when he died, 22 in order to test Israel by them, whether they will keep the way of the LORD to walk in it as their fathers did, or not." 23 So the LORD allowed those nations to remain, not driving them out quickly; and He did not give them into the hand of Joshua.

Tim Keller said of the above verses,

 "God's mercy was to use the nations around Israel to bring them moments when all seemed lost, and so to drive them into greater dependence on Him."

I found the idea he conveyed so profound!  Testing is merciful??

Definition of mercy:  not getting what I deserve/withheld punishment.

I'm sure trials have felt like punishment to all of us at one time or another...

But indeed, the testings that God sends to His children are for the purpose of drawing them into closer dependence upon Him.   We can read account after account in the Bible of how much God loved Israel, His chosen people.  Yet time and again the Israelites would turn away in disobedience, and then the Lord would send trials so that they would return to Him - our God pursues!

Such incredible love!  The Lord God Almighty, desires to be our Helper, a strong Tower to run to.

I do remember how tightly I held onto my God during those times of testing, depending on him each day of it's duration, some testings longer than others, with seemingly no end in sight.  As each trial grew in intensity, I learned to cry out to Him more quickly in utter dependence.

But through it all, I can testify that my Lord never left me, ministering to me through prayer, His Word and His people.

Jesus Himself experienced times of testing in the desert...  and then refreshment...

Then the devil left him, and behold, angels came and were ministering to him.
Matthew 4:11

Jesus understands our testings...

For because He Himself [in His humanity] has suffered in being tempted (tested and tried), He is able [immediately] to run to the cry of (assist, relieve) those who are being tempted and tested and tried [and who therefore are being exposed to suffering]. 

Hebrews 2: 18

Times of testing come so that we can minister to others who are experiencing similar trials...

Now if we are afflicted, it is for your consolation and salvation, which is effective

 for enduring the same sufferings which we also suffer. Or if we are comforted, 

it is for your consolation and salvation. 

2 Corinthians 1:6 (NKJV)

For any of you that are in times of testing now, may you be encouraged that God redeems ALL your trials.  His love is drawing you near, and with his love, he will calm all your fears.  Zephaniah 3:17

But may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you. 

1 Peter 5:10 (NKJV)

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For those of you who may have missed last week's daily features, please visit the links below:  :-)

Tuesday Thoughts - September 15, 2015

Wednesday Worship - September 16, 2015

Thanksgiving Thursday - September 17, 2015 

 Feature Friday - September 18, 2015

Scripture Saturday - September 19, 2015

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