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Passing the Test
by Dr. Paul Chappell
“By faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac: and he that had received the promises offered up his only begotten son, Of whom it was said, That in Isaac shall thy seed be called: Accounting that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead; from whence also he received him in a figure.”
Hebrews 11:17–19
On June 23, 1926, more than eight thousand young students gathered at three hundred test centers across America to take the Scholastic Aptitude Test. Commissioned by a group of colleges, mostly in the Northeast, the test was designed to measure both the educational achievement and the learning potential of prospective college students. The original test had sections dealing with definitions, math, antonyms, number series, analogies, and logic. Since then, millions of young people have sat down with a number two pencil and gone through page after page of multiple choice questions, fully filling in the circle of the correct answer (or at least what they hope is the correct answer). The test offers them a chance to display what they have studied and learned.
The tests that we face in life are designed by God as positive opportunities to display our faith in action. They are not meant to destroy our faith, though they may often be difficult. The example of Abraham preparing to offer Isaac as a sacrifice, despite what that meant to his hopes and plans for the future, is one of faith that stood strong even in the face of a severe test. The reality is that God has never broken a promise or let down those who trusted Him to keep His Word. Yet because our experiences with people lead us to question and doubt what we are told, sometimes we fail to trust God as we should. He does not promise that we will not be tested, but that if we rely on Him, we will pass the test.
Hebrews 11:17–19
On June 23, 1926, more than eight thousand young students gathered at three hundred test centers across America to take the Scholastic Aptitude Test. Commissioned by a group of colleges, mostly in the Northeast, the test was designed to measure both the educational achievement and the learning potential of prospective college students. The original test had sections dealing with definitions, math, antonyms, number series, analogies, and logic. Since then, millions of young people have sat down with a number two pencil and gone through page after page of multiple choice questions, fully filling in the circle of the correct answer (or at least what they hope is the correct answer). The test offers them a chance to display what they have studied and learned.
The tests that we face in life are designed by God as positive opportunities to display our faith in action. They are not meant to destroy our faith, though they may often be difficult. The example of Abraham preparing to offer Isaac as a sacrifice, despite what that meant to his hopes and plans for the future, is one of faith that stood strong even in the face of a severe test. The reality is that God has never broken a promise or let down those who trusted Him to keep His Word. Yet because our experiences with people lead us to question and doubt what we are told, sometimes we fail to trust God as we should. He does not promise that we will not be tested, but that if we rely on Him, we will pass the test.
Today’s Growth Principle:
Each trial we face is an opportunity for us to demonstrate that our faith in God is solid and strong.
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