What Has God Testing Reveals In Your Heart

                                                       When The Door Slams

Remember how the Lord your God led you all the way in the wilderness these forty years, to humble and test you in order to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep his commands. He humbled you, causing you to hunger and then feeding you with manna, which neither you nor your ancestors had known, to teach you that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord. Your clothes did not wear out and your feet did not swell during these forty years. Know then in your heart that as a man disciplines his son, so the Lord your God disciplines you.                                                                               Deuteronomy 8:2-3

        

        God allows us to suffer difficulties and hardships for a purpose. God led the children of Israel to wander through the wilderness for forty years in order to humble them and test them. When they refused to obey Him and enter the Promised Land, the Israelites revealed that they did not really know Him. If they had, they would have had more faith. God spent the next forty years testing the hearts of His people to see if they were prepared for His next assignment.

        Testing reveals what in your heart and produces a robust faith (James 1:3,12). God allowed His people to hunger so they could experience His provision and develop a deeper level of trust in Him. As the people walked with God they came to understand that their lives depended upon His Word. They learned that God's Word was the most important thing they had. 

        After learning to depend on God for forty years while living in the desert, the people listened when God spoke, and they believed. When they finally entered the Promised Land and waged war against their enemies, the Israelites knew that God's Word meant life and death. They were prepared to listen to Him, and as a result He led them to an astounding victory.

        Think about this: Is God presently testing you in some area of your life? What has His testing revealed? Have you become better toward God because of where He has led you? Or have you come to trust Him more as a result of what you have gone through?

May I not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God (Matthew 4:4). May I be above reproach, blameless as a steward of God, not self-willed, not quick-tempered, not given to wine, not violent, not fond of dishonest gain, but hospitable, a lover of what is good, sensible, just, holy. and self-controlled (Titus 1:6-8). 

This is God's commandment: that we believe in the name of His Son, Jesus Christ, and love one another as He commanded us (1 John 3:23). The Father has sent the Son to be the savior of the world. Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him and he in God (1 John 4:14-15).  

Ask the Holy Spirit to search your heart and reveal any areas of unconfessed sin. Acknowledge these to the Lord and thank Him for His forgiveness.         

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Leaning On Your Own Understanding Bring Negative Consequences

                                                     When The Door Slams

"For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways," says the Lord. "For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts.                                                                    Isaiah 55:8-9

        Rarely does God do something exactly as we think He will. Our problem is that we try to second-guess God, saying, "Oh, now I know what God is planning to do!" Moses experienced this as he learned how God was going to deliver the Hebrews out of Egypt. God told him He would harden Pharaoh's heart. Yet the result was not what Moses anticipate. 

        Rather than allowing the Hebrews to leave, Pharaoh increased their hardship. Rather than becoming a hero among the Hebrews. Moses was despised by them for bringing greater suffering. Moses returned to the Lord and asked, "Lord, why have You caused trouble for this people? And why did You ever send me?"(Exod. 5:22). Much of the frustration we experience as Christians has nothing to do with what God does or doesn't do. It has everything to do, rather, with the false assumptions we make about how we think God will and should act.

        Have you ever done the will of God and then things seemed to become worse? Moses completely misunderstood what the results of His obedience to God would be. When things did not turn out as he anticipated, Moses became discouraged. God had told Moses what to do, but had not told Moses what the consequences would be. 

        Think about this: It is foolish to attempt to do God 's work using your own "understanding." God does not eliminate your common sense; He consecrates and bless it. He gives you His wisdom so you can understand His ways. 

        As you look back on God's activity in your life, you will recognize the supreme wisdom in how God has led you. As you look for ward to what God may do, be careful you do not try to predict what God will do next. You may find yourself completely leaning on your own understanding. 

All a man's ways are pure in his own eyes, But the Lord weights the motives (Proverbs 16:2) "I Know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to gives you a future and a hope" (Jeremiah 29:11). Peace You leave with me; Your peace You give to me. Not as the world give to me. I will not let my heart be troubled nor it be fearful (John 14:27).   

Ask the Holy Spirit to search your heart and reveal any areas of unconfessed sin. Acknowledge these to the Lord and thank Him for His forgiveness. 

                                                                    Never Rest Ministries

                               

Faith Dose Not Eliminate Problems

                                                        When The Door Slams

Now faith is the substance if things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.                                                                Hebrews 11:1,6

        Your relationship with God is largely determined by your faith. When you come to Him, you must believe that He exists and that He is exactly who He has revealed Himself to be in Scriptures. You must also believe that He will respond to you when you earnestly seek Him. 

        Without this kind of faith, you cannot please God. Regardless of the ethical values of your life, the good works you perform, the words you speak, or the sacrifices you make for His sake, if you do not have faith, you will not please and you have nothing of God. It can be tempting to substitute religious activity for faith in God. Christians may claim they are being "good stewards" of their resources when, in fact, they are wanting to walk by sight rather than by faith (Heb. 11:1). They may refuse to do what God tells them unless they can see all the resources in place first.

        You may say, "I love God, but I just have difficulty trusting and obeying God ." Then you are not pleasing to Him. You cannot struggle at the core of your relationship with God and still enjoy a vibrant fellowship with Him! Faith does not eliminate problems. Faith keeps you in a trusting relationship with God in the midst of your problems. Faith has to do with your relationship with God, not your circumstances. Some may say, "I am not much of a person of faith. I am more of a practical person!" Yet you will never do anything more practical than to place your trust in the Lord God! Nothing is more secure or certain than that which you entrust to God. Trust and obey.

Trust in the Lord your God and you will be established; believe in His prophets and you will prosper    (2 Chronicles 20:20). I was washed, I was sanctified, I was justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God (1 Corinthians 6:11). Thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore let us be steadfast, immovable, abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that our labor in the Lord is not in vain (1 Corinthians 15:57-58).

Ask the Holy Spirit to search your heart and reveal any areas of unconfessed sin. Acknowledge these to the Lord and thank Him for His forgiveness.

                                                                        Never Rest Ministries    

                     

Look, I Am Yahweh, The God Of All Flesh

                                                        When The Door Slams

'Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know.'                                                                                                                                      Jeremiah 33:3

        Too often we settle for much less than what God wants to do through us. We read in Jeremiah 32:27; "Look, I am Yahweh, the God of all flesh. Is anything too difficult for Me?" And we answer, "No, Lord." Yet when we face difficult situations we begin to limit our belief in God and lower our expectations of what God will do. 

        It is one thing to believe God could perform a miracle in the Bible, or a thousand years ago, or even in the life of a friend; it is quite another matter to wholeheartedly believe God can do anything He chooses to do in our lives!

        When almighty God speaks to us, what we do next proves what we believe about God, regardless of what we say. Just like when God, revealed to Moses His plan to orchestrate the greatest exodus in human history, and God wanted to use Moses to accomplish it. Moses responded by arguing with God! Moses was overwhelmed by what he heard and began to make excuses for why he could not participate in God's activity. Moses should have willingly acknowledged his belief in God's power; Moses simply did not believe God could do His miraculous work through his life. Moses' argument with God limited his ministry for the rest of his life (Exod. 4:13-16).

        Think about this: Do you sense there may be far more that God wants to do through your life than what you have been experiencing? Real courage is moving forward when the outcome is uncertain. Ask God to show you what it is. Then be prepared to respond in faith and obedience to what God tells you.

Ah, Lord God, you have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and outstretched arm. Nothing is too hard for you. You show love to thousands but bring the punishment for the parents' sins into the laps of their children after them. Great and mighty God, whose name is the LORD Almighty, great are your purposes and mighty are your deeds. Your eyes are open to the ways of all mankind; you reward each person according to their conduct and as their deeds deserve (Jeremiah 32:17-19).

May I not let my heart be troubled; let me trust in God and trust also in Christ (John 14:1). I will call upon You and come and pray to You, and You will listen to me. I will seek You and find You when I search for You with all my heart (Jeremiah 29:12-13). 

Blessed is the man who makes the Lord his trust, Who does not look to the proud or those who turn aside to lies (Psalm 40:4).                                                                                                                       

Ask the Holy Spirit to search your heart and reveal any areas of unconfessed sin. Acknowledge these to the Lord and thank Him for His forgiveness. 

                                                                        Never Rest Ministries  

 

  

                            

  

Spiritual Sensitivity Christians

                                                     When The Door Slams

This is why I speak to them in parables: "Though seeing, they do not see; though hearing, they do not hear or understand. But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear.                                                                                                                        Matthew 13:13,16 

       

         When you became a Christian,  God give you spiritual sight and hearing so you could begin experiencing His presence and activity all around you. The Holy Spirit helps you to develop these spiritual senses as you walk with the Lord God. Spiritual sensitivity of God is a gift that must be accepted and exercised. Scripture indicates that those who are spiritually dead cannot see or understand spiritual things (Matt. 13:14-15). Without spiritual eyes, you can be right in the midst of a mighty act of God and not recognize the spiritual blessing God has blessed you with.

        There is a radical difference between seeing your surroundings from a human perspective and seeing life through spiritual eyes. Non-Christians will see world events around them and become confused. You will look at the same events, recognize the activity of God, and adjust your life to the Lord God. When you meet a person who is seeking God, you will recognize the convicting work of the Holy spirit and adjust your life to God's activity (Rom. 3:11). 

        Someone without spirit perception will encounter that same person and not understand the eternal significance of what is happening in that person's life. Others will hear of new philosophies and trends in our society. Others will go to church every Sunday, read Scriptures daily and still not know how to discern the truth. Spiritual sensitivity Christians will hear God's voice over the confusing of the world's voices, and will keep their relationship with God in the midst of the confusing circumstances.

        Think about this: Sin dulls your senses, ultimately leaving you spiritually blind and deaf. Do not be content with merely seeing with physical eyes and hearing with natural ears and not sensing what God is doing. Ask Lord God, through the power of the Holy Spirit, to give you His Spiritual wisdom and  understanding to His activity all around you. 

You have chosen me as Your witness and servant so that I may know and believe You and understand that You are the Lord. Before You no god was formed, nor will there be one after You (Isaiah 43:10). May I do the work of Him who sent me while it is day; night is coming, when no one can work      (John 9:4) 

Ask the Holy Spirit to search your heart and reveal any areas of unconfessed sin. Acknowledge these to the Lord thank Him for His forgiveness.

                                                                Never Rest Ministries