Out Of The Abundance Of The Heart Part 2

Today I am going to tackle my first point: God uses trials and tribulations to "try" or test our hearts. All of us face struggles. Sometimes they are small, just the daily things, the little irritations and annoyances of life, the "grain of sand in your shoe" kinds of things. Other times they are big, things like the death of a loved one, a car accident, finding out you have cancer or that a loved one does, divorce, any number of things that come like a bolt out of the blue and catch you off-guard. Unfortunately, at times in our lives these things seem to come in threes or fours, giving us little or no time between tragedies to catch our breath and regroup spiritually. That's when we are most likely to cry out "Why?".

There are many reasons why trials and tribulations come our way. Sometimes we are in the right place at the right time when evil happens, like the girl who was shot & killed in the Colorado school shooting or the Amish school girls who were killed last week when a gunman burst into their school. The families of these girls did nothing to deserve these tragedies; they just happened to be in the right place at the right time to reap the consequences of someone else's sin. Sometimes we are reaping consequences of our own bad choices, like finding out you have lung cancer after years of smoking or having your wife & children leave you after years of dealing with your alcohol abuse. And sometimes life just happens, like when you slip on a patch of ice, fall, and break your leg. There's also the possibility that Satan, the accuser of the brethren, is provoking the trials we face, to get us to deny the LORD who redeemed us (see Job 1 & 2). No matter why the trials and tribulations happen, I think the LORD is vitally interested in our response, that these things are a "test" of the faith that resides in our hearts. You don't think the LORD tests us? Here's what the Word of God says:

Psalm 7:9b (NKJ) But establish the just: For the righteous God tests the hearts and minds.

Psalm 11:5 (NKJ) The LORD tests the righteous, but the wicked and the one who loves violence His soul hates.

Psalm 17:3 (NKJ) You have tested my heart; You have visited me in the night; You have tried me and have found nothing; I have purposed that my mouth shall not transgress.

I cannot study this subject without going to the book of Job. Tragedy after tragedy overtake Job and he has no reason why. In one day all of his material wealth, as counted in oxen, donkeys, sheep, camels, and servants, and all of his beloved children were taken from him. Job is clueless as to what is taking place in spiritual realms between God and Satan. All he knows is that everything has been taken from him. Does he demand answers from God? No! Here's what the Word says:

Job 1:20-22 (NKJ) Then Job arose, tore his robe, and shaved his head; and he fell to the ground and worshipped. And he said, "Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked shall I return there. The LORD gave, and the Lord has taken away; Blessed be the name of the LORD." In all this Job did not sin nor charge God with wrong.

Then, as if losing all his material wealth and children isn't enough, God allows Satan to afflict Job physically with painful boils that cover his body. Job's wife gets into the act and tells Job to curse God and die. How does Job respond?

Job 2:10 (NKJ) But he said to her, "You speak as one of the foolish women speaks. Shall we indeed accept good from God, and shall we not accept adversity?" In all this Job did not sin with his lips.

Job also says:

Job 13:15 (NKJ) Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him.

Job 23:10 (NKJ) But He knows the way that I take; when He has tested me, I shall come forth as gold.

There's also the account of Abraham. Take a look at this...

Genesis 22:1-2 (NKJ) Now it came to pass after these things that God tested Abraham, and said to him, "Abraham!" And he said, "Here I am." Then He said, "Take now your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you."

And what does Abraham do? Does he argue with God and ask "why?" No, he gets up early in the morning, saddles the donkey, calls for two of his servants and for Isaac, loads up some firewood, and they head to the land of Moriah. Just like that. When they get to the mountain that the LORD tells him to go to, he builds an altar, puts the wood and Isaac his son on the altar, then takes his knife to slay Isaac. At that point, God speaks again.

Genesis 22:12 (NKJ) And He said, "Do not lay your hand on the lad, or do anything to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me."

From these scriptures, I conclude that trials and tribulations are part of God's purpose, that He uses them to try our hearts, to test our faith and integrity. So how do our words tie into these times of testing? How can our words be an indicator of what is in our hearts? Ah, but that is for my next post. Til then, my prayer echoes that of David:

Psalm 19:14 (NKJ) Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O LORD, my strength and my Redeemer.