It is God's privilege to test man; it is not man's right to test God. An example of this was the wilderness generation of Israelites who insulted and grieved the Lord by tempting and limiting Him, as if to test His patience or His power.
One Sunday afternoon while I was dining with my family, I heard the still, small, inner Voice of the Holy Spirit. I could not get the thought out of my mind that someone was coming to the evening service, whom the Lord wanted me to pray a prayer of release and blessing over. "Oh," I thought inwardly, "that won't be a hard thing to do." I took an afternoon nap and woke up, expectantly, to see who the Lord was sending to the evening service.
Much to my astonishment, as I was walking into service, I saw a woman entering the sanctuary who had grievously wronged and hurt both my husband and myself. My heart skipped about four beats. Oh, how God had set me up to test (tempt) my obedience and my trust in His timing and ways.
As it came closer in the service for the time of prayer, my mind and heart raced to examine all the possible ways of escaping out of this corner I had been painted in. Yet, I knew, way down deep inside, that God was telling me, she was the one.
During the prayer time, I went over to her. The Lord graciously sent a friend with me who knew all the details of the past. We prayed with her, asking God to release her from the past and to begin bringing her into a place of great blessing.
She spoke to me after the service, and said, "When you prayed that prayer of release, I felt the past years of mistakes and regrets break off from me, just like chains!" I was truly happy for her, but even more grateful to the Lord for helping me pass His test. I don't believe I would have been able to grow onward as God had planned for me if I was unwilling to trust Him, even when I did not understand.
Where are you at today? Do you feel you are ready to pass the tempting (testing) of the Lord? Are you willing to trust Him and walk in obedience, even when you do not understand? Write down possible areas the Lord might be going to test you in soon. Pray over each area, asking Him for His great wisdom.
