To Do-ers List: Back to School, Test
“Please get out two sharpened number two pencils and a piece of scratch paper. Do not open your test booklet until I tell you to do so. Please look at Sample A. Please read Sample A to yourself as I read it aloud…”
Tests! Life seems to be full of tests – math tests, English tests, spelling tests and history tests. Don’t forget about the never-ending-fill-in-the-dot tests. As Christians we also undergo tests. Spiritual tests. Character tests. Circumstances and events that try our souls. Unlike school teachers, God doesn’t test us to learn what we know. He tests us so WE can learn what we know. Once we learn the truth about the contents of our hearts, we are able to seek God’s healing and restoration.
“Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the LORD Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it.” Malachi 3:10
Test Me in this.
There is an occasion in the Bible, however, when God asks us to test Him. “Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this, says the LORD Almighty …”
The Teacher takes the test.
In fact, the Master Teacher longs for us to test Him. Why? So He can bless. The Hebrew word used for test in this verse is bachan, which means “to try, to prove, to lookout for, to watch.”
What kind of test are we to give God?
The giving test.
Giving.
Giving deep.
Giving till it hurts.
Out on a limb kind of giving where only God can pull it off. We give and what does God do?
God pours out.
” Test me in this,” says the LORD Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it…”
Funny. I have always approached this verse in a very self-centered manner. Prior to writing this study, I believed the verse read something like, “Give your tithe and I will pour out My blessing upon YOU.” I give my little sacrifice and God pours down blessings on little ol’ me. The one receiving my “sacrifice” benefits a little, while God pours His blessing down on me …
The verse doesn’t say that. It says, give your tithe, and
A continuous flow in the direction it was given–like the boy with the five loaves and two fish. He gave Jesus his boy-sized snack and ended up with lunch for 5000 … alfresco … plus doggie bags. Amazing. The blessing wasn’t just for the boy. Jesus poured forth blessing in the direction it was given, to feed the crowd. What would the boy have done with food for 5000? It would have spoiled. Hmm …
Tweet This… I wonder what happens when we try to hoard our gifts?
For today: take the test.
God asks us to test Him by giving. Start by praying. Ask God to show you opportunities to give today. What shall we give? Our money? Yes, but not only our money, but
- our time,
- our talents,
- our gifts,
- 0ur possessions and
- any other thing we can think of.
Resources:
To help you organize your daily study and record your experiences, please download and print the following PDF, or download the journal app to your favorite Apple device.
- To Do-ers List Study Guide PDF
- Days Lite: My Wonderful Life App free app from App Store.
Other Resources:
Joyce Meyer: The Going Through Test
Chuck Swindoll: The Ultimate Faith Test
Don’t forget to comment on your experience in the comment section below! Choose your test for today and be a Doer of the Word. School is in session. Test!
We can’t wait to hear how your day went! Remember, God is waiting for His test.
Let’s do it!
if you need to catch up, click on the links below!
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I do not need to worry about having enough to give. The more I give, the more God will supply. I need to make sure I stay connected to the Giver … like an army supply line. God even uses a military name for himself in this verse (the Lord of Hosts, which means the Lord of Armies.) The line must not be broken so I can receive what I need to continue to give. Help me to find ways to give this day.
I think I will try giving of my time. This is hard for me because I feel like I always need to be working. I need to take time to ask people how they are doing. I ‘m going to test God with time!