The Lord’s Tests

Old Testament: Jeremiah 15 & 16

Poetry: Proverbs 11

New Testament: 1 Peter 3

And – here’s today’s devotion on Psalm 11

In school, I admittedly was never good about doing my homework. In fact, I could probably count on my hand how many assignments I got done at home while in high school. However, I felt confident enough in making up the lost points from a class when it came to the final tests given. I did fairly decently when it came time for testing, so I always felt justified in “slacking off” from my duties of homework. I mean, it was only 5% of my grade anyways, so why should I care about an insignificant grade?

God also tests us, but this testing isn’t a “one-time” thing; His testing stretches across our entire lifetime. And unlike a test in school, every “homework assignment” given to us in this life does count as part of the test. Psalm 11 tells us that “the LORD tests the righteous and the wicked” (verse 5), meaning that everyone is facing this test during their lifetime, being judged by how we respond in every situation. We cannot afford to “slack off” on any assignment that we are tasked with, but must do our best to do what is right in every situation, because God loves righteous deeds (verse 7).

Thankfully, we have a wonderful example of what we are supposed to do in every situation: Jesus. Although we should never “copy” another student’s answers in school, we can and are expected to copy what Jesus does. He has given us every answer that we need to “pass” this ultimate test of God’s: it’s our job to simply obey, and do that over and over again. Like Jesus, we must seek to do right in every situation, so that God will grant us the greatest grade you’ll ever receive, which ironically involves the missing letter of any grading scale in school: an E+ (eternal life).

Brothers and sisters, we cannot afford to slack off in any situation, but must always be ready to give an answer for the hope within us (1 Peter 3:15), and always be ready to do the right thing. What will you do today to copy Jesus’ example?

-Talon Paul

Reflection Questions

1. Do you often remember that God is observing the whole earth – including you? What would He have recently seen from you that might not help your eternal grade? What could you have done instead that would have been copying Jesus’ perfect example?
2. Do you often remember that you will receive an eternal grade? Does that make it easier or harder to choose to seek to do what is right?
3. When the Lord examines you today what will He see?