It's Only A Test

James 1:2-4 NKJV

Profiting from Trials 2 My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, 3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces [a]patience. 4 But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be [b]perfect and complete, lacking nothing.

The Message Bible

2–4 Consider it a sheer gift, friends, when tests and challenges come at you from all sides. You know that under pressure, your faith-life is forced into the open and shows its true colors. So don’t try to get out of anything prematurely. Let it do its work so you become mature and well-developed, not deficient in any way.

Subtopic - Your Current Condition Is Not Your Conclusion

Summary: When trials and tribulations come your way, just remember that "It’s Only A Test!"

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Introduction:

In life we are faced with difficult situations and challenges. At times it seems as though our situations are the final chapters of our lives. Our jobs pose problems for us or even our health may begin to fail us. Our kids are not acting right, and it seems as though everything we’ve tried is not working. The person you with doesn”t seem to care.

Well, I have some good news. “Your current Condition Is Not Your Conclusion.”

I have only one Point: “It’s Only A Test”

In our instant have it right now culture - I can’t imagine anyone having patience enough to wait anywhere close to the time Abraham has to wait on Gods promise.

• We don’t like waiting in Traffic

• We don’t like waiting in Line

• We don’t like waiting on Hold

• We don’t like waiting too long for our food at the Restaurant

• We don’t like Waiting

Ishmael is the result of not waiting and trusting that God will fulfill His promises.

• We have Ishmael’s in our lives we are still dealing with – because we would not wait

• We have Ishmael’s in our lives that cause us Frustration – because of our hurriedness

• We have Ishmael’s in our lives that cause us a Whole Lot of Stress – because we would not wait on God

• We have Ishmael’s in our lives that cause us Many Restless and Sleepless Nights – because we took matters into our own Hands instead of Waiting on God

The Lord is asking us:

• Do you trust me?

• Do you trust that whatever happens I will fulfill my promise?

• Do you trust that the Storm will not Destroy You?

• Will you obey me even when it doesn’t seem to make sense?

• Will you go where I ask you to go?

• Will you do what I ask you to do?

• Will you say what I ask you to Say?

• There will be times in our Christian life when it will be very difficult to Trust and Obey God

• There will be times in our life when the things that are happening will seem to make no sense

• There will be times when the direction God is taking you seems to be the wrong way

• There will be times when the things that God is telling you to do or to give up will be very costly and demanding

• It will require great trust and commitment

• It will be very difficult to trust and obey God during these times

• Will you Worship me When You Can’t Hear My Voice?

• Will you Worship me When All You See is Confusion

• Will you Worship me When Your Soul is Heavy?

• Will you Worship me When You Don’t Feel My Presence?

• It is during these times that we should understand – It’s Only A Test.

“All of life is a test.” Life indeed is full of tests, from the Cradle to the Grave, but Life itself is the most important test.

Looking at the scripture, Paul was on a ship and was caught in a terrible storm for fourteen days. It seemed as though the end was near. Paul had the faith that it took to see things through, but the prisoners and the guards could not see. Sometimes you maybe the only one who can see that this is only a test and not the conclusion.

God uses unpleasant situations to put you through a test to prove to you that He is God and God alone. It also proves that your condition is not your conclusion. God had already promised Paul that everyone on the ship would be saved from death.

Paul knew that this was only a test.

2 Corinthians 4:17-18

17 For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory;

18 While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.

NLT 17 For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever! 18 So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever

But if we read a little further to the verse 18 NIV, it says, “So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. Your current condition is not your conclusion. This is only a test.

Moses had a condition. He was a murderer. If you read Exodus 2:12, he slew an Egyptian and hid him in the sand. It was his condition, but it wasn’t his conclusion. God used Moses an ordinary man to do extraordinary things.

JOB

Perhaps no Bible character has suffered more than Job. Job had everything — a good family, a good name and plenty of wealth. But then Satan went to God and asked for permission to alter Job's good fortune.

Then tragedy strikes and Job loses everything: his children, his wealth, his livestock, his crops, his health and even the relationship of his wife and friends.

And what did Job do? Not curse God, as Satan had thought he would. Instead, he praised His name.

DAVID

David is a Bible character who is no stranger to hard times. He was anointed king of Israel and chosen by God, and yet he was also tormented by the jealous King Saul, who chased David for many years trying to kill him.

The Bible tells us that David grew increasingly frustrated from his constant running and hiding, living in caves, and surviving on whatever food his men could find or what those loyal to him would give.

And time and time again, he had the chance to kill Saul, but he didn't because his heart was good.

There was a man named Naaman. Naaman had a condition. Naaman was a leper. If you read 2 Kings 5:10, Elisha told Naaman to go the the River Jordan, that old muddy River Jordan and to dip himself seven times and his flesh will be as clean as a newborn baby. Being a leper was his condition but it wasn’t his conclusion.

People thought that when Jesus went to the cross that that was his conclusion. It was his condition, but it was not his conclusion.

God told Paul that His grace was sufficient. It was sufficient for Paul; God’s grace is sufficient for us today.

“My Grace is Sufficient for Thee”

Will you allow God’s grace to satisfy you today? I can’t imagine all of the suffering that Christians are enduring in these days. Some have physical afflictions that they live with daily. Others suffer great persecution from the world around them (of which most reading this will never experience). Many of us will have great pain and loss that we endure from time to time.

Whatever your trial today, trust in the grace of God to be sufficient. Go to Him in prayer. Read His Word. Allow Him to be all that you need to endure this trying time.

When trials and tribulations come your way, just remember that "It’s Only A Test!"