Tag: testing

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2 Samuel Devotionals

Choosing obedience

2 Samuel

This is a difficult passage on a lot of levels.

Apparently, Israel had sinned in some way. What that sin was, we don’t know, but perhaps it was their rejection of David, God’s appointed king, and following Absalom and later Sheba.

At any rate, because of their sin, God decided to bring judgment on them.

That is important to note, by the way. Contrary to what David thought, Israel was not innocent and was worthy of judgment. (2 Samuel 24:17)

But how to account for God stirring up David against them? Did God cause David to sin?

Also, in 1 Chronicles 21, it says Satan was the one who incited David to count the people of Israel. So who was responsible?

It’s a difficult question.

But here are some things to remember.

First, Satan always stands against God’s people. And he would destroy us if he could.

But as we see in Job, God puts definite limits on what Satan can and cannot do to us. (Job chapters 1-2)

Second, for purposes of judgment or for testing, God will loosen those limits.

We see examples of judgment with Saul and King Ahab. (1 Samuel 16:14; 1 Kings 22:19-23).

We see examples of testing with Job and Jesus (Matthew 4:1).

Third, regardless of whether God loosens those limits or not, people do not have to sin. They can choose to do right. Job and Jesus chose to do right. Saul and Ahab didn’t.

So ultimately, while for purposes of judgment God loosened the limits on Satan, David still had his choice. And David chose to sin.

David himself accepted responsibility for his own sin. (2 Samuel 24:10, 17)

David didn’t sin because God made him sin.

Nor did the devil “make him do it.”

David sinned because of what was in his heart. (James 1:14)

And what seems to have been in his heart was his pride in his military strength, which may be why he wanted the people counted.

Two further points.

First, this side of the cross, as children of God, we no longer need to fear God’s judgment (1 John 4:14-19).

Like the Israelites, we are deserving of God’s judgment, but Jesus took that judgment upon himself on the cross.

So while God may discipline us at times, we will never face his judgment. (Hebrews 12:5-11; Romans 8:1)

Second, though God may loosen his limits on Satan and let us go through times of testing, we always have the choice to obey or not.

But as Paul wrote,

No temptation has come upon you except what is common to humanity.

But God is faithful; he will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation he will also provide the way out so that you may be able to bear it. (1 Corinthians 10:13)

So let us remember the words of James, trusting in God’s goodness and faithfulness toward us, following after him.

Blessed is the one who endures trials, because when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him. (James 1:12)

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Psalms Devotionals

When God allows hard times

Psalms

You caused me to experience
many troubles and misfortunes… (Psalm 71:20a)

That seems a little cruel doesn’t it?

God causes us to experience many troubles and misfortunes?

Yes, he does.

This is not to say that God actively wields a bat against us.

Many times, the troubles and misfortunes we face are of our own making. Sometimes, they are the results of others’ actions. And other times, they are the result of living in a broken world.

God could, I suppose, actively intervene and keep those troubles and misfortunes from us. And by his grace, he sometimes does.

I would dare say there are many troubles or misfortunes that God in his grace has protected us from that we are totally unaware of.

But he does allow us to experience troubles and misfortunes in our lives.

Why? Because God is cruel? Because he hates us?

No.

Rather, as David says,

…but you will revive me again. You will bring me up again, even from the depths of the earth. (20b)

Through our troubles, we learn to lean on him. (6)

We learn to hope in him. (14)

And as he raises us up, we learn that he is indeed good. (16-17)

We stand in awe of him and cry out with David,

 Your righteousness reaches the heights, God, you who have done great things; God, who is like you? (19)

But as you go through your trials, remember one more thing. Jesus knows what it means to endure suffering too.

The writer of Hebrews says,

For in bringing many sons and daughters to glory, it was entirely appropriate that God—for whom and through whom all things exist—should make the pioneer of their salvation perfect through sufferings…

[Jesus] had to be like his brothers and sisters in every way, so that he could become a merciful and faithful high priest in matters pertaining to God, to make atonement, for the sins of the people. (Hebrews 2:10, 17)

Yes, God causes us to go through suffering. But he caused his Son to go through it first. And because of that, the writer of Hebrews can tell us,

For since he himself has suffered when he was tempted (or “tested”, the word is the same in Greek), [Jesus] is able to help those who are tempted (“tested”). (Hebrews 2:18)

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1 Corinthians

Who we follow

1 Corinthians

As we go through life, there are any number of people that we look up to as our examples, starting with our parents, then teachers and coaches, to pastors and so on.

And hopefully, all of them are good mentors to us. But Paul reminds us here to be very careful about who we choose to follow.

There are many people, even in the Christian world, who sound good. But as Paul says,

The kingdom of God is not a matter of talk but of power. (1 Corinthians 4:20)

And so Paul said when he came to Corinth,

I will find out not only how these arrogant people are talking, but what power they have. (1 Corinthians 4:19)

That’s the question we need to ask ourselves. What power is behind the people we are following?

Is it God? Or is it something else? Natural charisma? Money? Position? Or is there even an evil spiritual power behind them?

How do we tell what kind of power is behind them? By the fruit that they bear. Jesus tells us,

Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves.

By their fruit you will recognize them. (Matthew 7:15-16)

What kind of fruit do we look for? The fruit of their teaching and the fruit of their lives.

Paul himself points that out when talking of Timothy and himself.

For this reason I am sending to you Timothy, my son whom I love, who is faithful in the Lord.

He will remind you of my way of life in Christ Jesus, which agrees with what I teach everywhere in every church. (1 Corinthians 4:17)

When we find such people in our lives, we should follow their example. As Paul said,

Therefore I urge you to imitate me. (1 Corinthians 4:16)

But when their fruit is rotten, we need to run as quickly and far away as possible.

How about you? Who are you following?

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Acts

Testing what we hear

Acts

In this day and age, we can get information from just about anywhere. Radio, TV, and especially the internet has made it easy to get news and hear opinions coming from every possible angle.

This is also true concerning our faith. People from pastors to laymen write and speak out their views of God and the Bible, and can attract great followings. But how often do we test what we hear?

Unless we test what we hear, we can easily be swayed by those who really don’t deserve our trust.

We see this with many of the people who lived in Thessalonica and Berea. Many of the enemies of the gospel found it quite easy to stir up the crowds against Paul and his companions.

Why? Because the crowds didn’t test what was said. Instead, they simply believed the lies that were told to them.

But even the people who believed Paul’s message didn’t always test what they heard. Luke compared the believers in Thessalonica and Berea by saying,

Now the Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true. (Acts 17:11)

Think about this a moment. Paul was one of the greatest of the apostles. And yet Luke, through the Holy Spirit, praised the Bereans for not simply believing what Paul had said, but for checking that what he said matched scripture.

If the Bereans checked out what Paul said, shouldn’t we be doing the same with our pastors? Shouldn’t we be doing the same with the Rick Warrens, Joel Osteens, John Pipers, Joyce Meyers, and Billy and Franklin Grahams of the world?

(I personally have my reservations on two of these names. I’ll leave you to test their teachings with scripture to figure out who. :))

The problem with too many people is that they don’t check out what they hear. They simply believe because someone sounds good or makes them feel good.

The result? They end up by being blown around by every wind of teaching and away from the path God has for us. (Ephesians 4:14)

Let us not be that way. Let us not miss the path God has for us because we fail to test what we hear. Instead, as the apostle Paul says, let us,

Test everything. Hold on to the good. Avoid every kind of evil. (1 Thessalonians 5:21-22)

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Matthew Matthew 7

Sermon on the Mount: Testing those you listen to

Matthew

After Jesus tells us to go through the narrow gate that leads to salvation, he gives us a warning.

Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. (Matthew 7:15)

People often associate prophets as those who issue out predictions of the future. But true prophets of God did much more than that. They confronted people with the words of God.

You see this throughout the Old Testament. People like Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and Daniel.

You also see in the Old Testament many of the types of people Jesus warns against here. People who looked good. Who sounded good. Who seemed spiritual. But who spoke words straight from hell, leading people down the broad road that leads to destruction.

Unfortunately, there are people like this in the church today. People who claim to speak the words of God but corrupt the very words he says.

The question then becomes, “How do we tell the true prophet from the false prophet when they look so alike.”

Jesus tells us the answer.

By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles?

Likewise every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit.

Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them. (Matthew 7:17-20)

In short, we need to test the fruit that they produce. There are two types of fruit that prophets and teachers produce.

The fruit of their lives is one. Are they living the things they teach? Or are they mere hypocrites.

This is not to say that they must be perfect in order to teach. But they should be continually growing and maturing in their faith. And hopefully, as they speak, they are honest about what their areas of struggle are.

But there’s another kind of fruit. The fruit of what they teach. What is coming out of their mouths? Is it consistent with the Word of God? Or is it not?

As teachers, they are responsible to teach the Word accurately. To study to show themselves approved, workmen who don’t need to be ashamed, accurately interpreting the Word of truth. (2 Timothy 2:15)

But as hearers of the Word, we are to test what they teach.

That is what the Bereans did in the book of Acts. They did not simply listen to the words of Paul. They tested it by what scripture said when they went home.

And when they found that what Paul said matched up with scripture, they believed. (Acts 17:11-12)

We ought to do the same. Test what the teachers and pastors say. And if their teaching matches what scripture teaches, accept it, and obey. If not, reject it.

Many teachers today claim Jesus as their Lord. And most do. But some will come before Christ someday saying,

Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles? (Matthew 7:22)

But Jesus will reply,

I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers! (Matthew 7:23)

And unfortunately, those who blindly followed these teachers will be swept right along into hell with them.

Why? Because they never tested what they were taught.

How about you? Do you test what you hear? Do you test what you read? Or do you just blindly follow?