Tests

This note is to encourage those who’ve been going through it for a long time & feel like they’ll never overcome! 

• We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love. - Romans 5:3-5

Many of us struggle with something that we feel we may never get delivered from! Whether if it’s patience, anger, lust, or any other type of sexual sin. We tried so hard to constantly pray, and pray, and pray without ceasing but that one problem that is your biggest challenge & downfall just doesn’t seem to go away, right? Well here’s the thing that we don’t tend to realize that.. We’re so focused on praying for God to remove the problem, instead of asking Him to help us endure the problem!! Often times when we pray for God to help us, we expect Him to do ALL the work & assume that He’ll one day destroy that very SIN that we face daily. But that’s not how it works, God will help us, but He wants to know that we’re serious about letting that problem go, which means we gotta do our part FIRST so that God’s perfect work can manifest in us. Therefore we are asked to do somethings, such as; praying, meditating on the word day & night, fasting, casting our cares unto Him & not worrying bout our problems because we know He’s greater than our problems! Basically just having FAITH, trusting in Him & leaning not on our own understanding no matter how bad the situation may look! We gotta walk by faith & not by sight. (Rejoice in our confident hope. Be patient in trouble, and keep on praying. -Romans 12:12)
Those are just somethings that are much required that can help get us through, by letting God know that we’re gonna give it ALL to Him! All of that would help us endure, & as the Scripture tells us, endurance develops strength of character! Amen! Not only would endurance help us build up strength of character but it would also produce self-control . Self-control is what we need to operate in DAILY to fight against our flesh, once we practice that & take heed to it, then God will feel comfortable trusting us with our flesh! (Whoever practices righteousness is righteous, as He is righteous.- 1 John 3:7) The Word says to walk in the Spirit & you will NOT gratify the desires of the flesh, so if your choosing to stay guarded up in Him, then NOTHING formed against you will prosper, right? How God helps us gain self-control is that, He’ll put us through tests! Ex: If you prayed for PATIENCE/ANGER because you struggle with that, God will put you in a situation where you can learn to exercise & practice it! Whether if your in stop & go traffic, or someone is arguing with you, someone is annoying you, you have the ability to choose how you will react. The Word tells us to be SLOW to anger. But remind you, the Lord NEVER tempts us, we tempt ourselves. (And remember, when you are being tempted, do not say, “God is tempting me.” God is never tempted to do wrong, and he never tempts anyone else. -James 1:13)
Revelation: One of the important things I’ve listed above was to meditate on the Word day & night. No one really understands how important it is to stay in your Word, why? Because Satan is ALWAYS busy & plotting stuff to get you further away from God, day & night. When your in your Word, it will keep you grounded & help you get through your tests ..I think of the Bible as a Study Guide that I need to review daily to remember, memorize & prepare me for a upcoming, hard, test so that I can be ready to pass. (I have hidden your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you- Psalm 119:11)  ..My teacher who will grade my test, is my Savior, Jesus. If I study & memorize Scripture that’s relevant to my problem(s) then when my test comes, I’m able to use that Scripture, speak it & it’ll help me remind myself to not fail! But if I fail my test, my Teacher will CORRECT where I’ve went wrong so that I can get back up & try again next time. The righteous man falls 7 times but gets up 8.
Even in Romans 7, Paul was struggling with his flesh, & was talking about how every time he WANTED to do right to please the Lord, he’d end up going wrong. But even when he was struggling, he still did what he needed to do, whatever it was that was keeping him from pleasing the Lord, even if it meant beating his flesh into submission. The long suffering he went through was what made him stronger & victorious in the end ..Nothing is too hard for God ;-)