Don't Fret the Test

A few years ago God spoke to me about the concept and idea of a "test". I had always thought about the word and idea as being something of a negative. On the order of "severe trial".(oh, no!)  I hadn't thought about the concept of a "test" in any other terms. I just thought about it like a parent who would say "Don't test (try) me in this!"

So when God started talking about "tests" I then started cringing and dreading and thinking something bad was getting ready to happen. But when I started listening, God began to show me about the idea of a test being an examination, assessment, or a way to "qualify" an individual. Just like when we are in grade school we were "tested" to make sure we were ready to move up to the next grade. It wasn't something horrible, although I have never enjoyed those kinds of tests either. No matter how we look at the word, it always means qualifier, or examination.

I mentioned last weekend that God is seeming to move me "out" more. He's calling me to do a few things that I haven't participated in for awhile. I've been home this last year a lot of the time because of my health. Gee I hate to say that because it makes me sound like an old woman, which I am NOT.  (hey, what's old anyway!?) I've needed to slow down this last year and get my head on straight and find some balance in my life.

"Finding balance" has been an issue with me my whole life. Everything I do tends to be at 500%, so this has been a really important year for me. I've been in a "time-out" so to speak, where God said to me. "Let's sit and rest for awhile, listen to me, and let's sort things out."


Starting my first blog, then this blog, was born out of my need for finding balance, staying connected, and feeling as if I still had a purpose in life. OK, so more to the point lest I ramble too much, I've been in a little test these last couple of months. God asked me to post everyday here on the Bible Study Blog. It's been amazing to see Him sit me down and then give me the topics and words to share, concepts to study, and then the communication level that we all have with one another.

I know that it's hard to keep up with these posts for many of you who have busy schedules. Hey, it's been hard for ME to keep up and I'm the one writing them. LOL! My desire was to post and then give a day for everyone to read and digest and ponder, so that's where I am right now. Without sounding like I'm negating my commitment, for the time being I will be posting about 3 times a week. Hopefully, every other day. Then there will be more time for you to read and respond if you'd like, and not lose out on the momentum that we're having with the study. Originally, I had thought that my daily posts would be short, but it hasn't happened that way. I guess I just like to be thorough and need more words to convey the topic. So, I'm going to post, hopefully, every other day. I don't like "legalism", but I knew God was calling me to do more than I had when I started the blog back in October. I'm not backing off, just going to have a little more time between posts so we can all read, study and hopefully respond more. I haven't had much time to do that, or to read anyone else's blogs.

So remember the next time you are going through a "test", that it's not meant to be a hard thing, but a learning experience. Tests show us what we can do, and prepare us to move on to what God is doing next.

I'll just keep repeating that to myself. OK?

love,

Debra