Getting Ready to be Tested
Gen 44:2 And put my cup, the silver cup, in the sack’s mouth of the youngest, and his corn money. And he did according to the word that Joseph had spoken. 3 As soon as the morning was light, the men were sent away, they and their asses. 4 And when they were gone out of the city, and not yet far off, Joseph said unto his steward, Up, follow after the men; and when thou dost overtake them, say unto them, Wherefore have ye rewarded evil for good? 5 Is not this it in which my lord drinketh, and whereby indeed he divineth? ye have done evil in so doing.
It is one thing to know that you will be tested and it is another to get ready for that testing. The brothers were taken unawares by the test, but we need not be unprepared as they were. Every examination is based on a curriculum …and God’s curriculum is the word of God – the Bible. We need to read it and know exactly what it says. Every examination also has a timetable for written and practical tests. God has appointed dates for our testing and he will prove our teachings first in our own lives …the songs we have sung will be tested …the revelation we claim to know will be tested.
Many examinations tend to have surprise questions … even though we prepared well by studying model answers there will be questions we tend to be unfamiliar with and we wish were not asked. Model answers are discovered when we study the actors in the word of God, the teachings of Christ, the dealings of Prophets …and we understand what they went through and how they responded … and how Christ would have responded. When we see surprise questions that are unfamiliar and we do not know what to do, we are tested not on model answers but on what we have learnt so far … God is able to help us discover how far we have developed in an area and where we are still wanting. God will test our integrity …what we will do when no one sees us. God will test our patience and attitude to suffering…God will test our love for the unlovable … He will test faithfulness in a little … He will test our humility and how we correct our wrongs.
Perhaps the most advanced of tests focuses on handling aggressive accusation – whether they be true or not. He will test if we want glory for self or if we can release issues to God. Our preparation in prayer and the reading and studying of the word is most helpful or we would be clueless to respond. Our readiness for the surprise unexpected test shows we have grown and God can trust even more difficult environments in our care.
Jesus will test us to see if we will be ashamed of Him when things do not go as we expect … in times of disgrace and pain … will we still sing of His glory?
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Song.
Jesus, and shall it ever be, A mortal man ashamed of Thee?
Ashamed of Thee, whom angels praise, Whose glories shine thro’ endless days?
Ashamed of Jesus! sooner far – Let evening blush to own a star;
He sheds the beams of light divine O’er this benighted soul of mine.
Ashamed of Jesus! that dear Friend – On whom my hopes of heav’n depend!
No; when I blush, be this my shame, That I no more revere His name.
Ashamed of Jesus! yes, I may, When I’ve no guilt to wash away;
No tear to wipe, no good to crave, No fears to quell, no soul to save.
Prayer: Lord, Teach me to prepare and to await patiently to excel in all the tests you have set for me. Amen.
The Songs of Joseph is an integration of encouragement scriptural devotions, prayers and a compendium of songs of mercy, salvation, new beginnings and victory. We can expect as we trust and obey that our end will indeed be ultimately glorious because God works His marvellous agenda. Be blessed as you read and sing along, daily. Edited by Bolade Apampa
