SHE STILL LOVED

Another holiday dinner at my Aunt My’s home. There the little girl in green sits, beaming for all the angels (and the camera); my red-haired cousin Sandy. Our family didn’t take a lot of photos, especially of extended family. I treasure this snapshot of joy. Everyone else seems to be caught up in the meal, but Sandy is turned to the camera, grinning from ear to ear. Sandy gave and invited love her entire life. I don’t know of anyone who didn’t love Sandy, except for her future husband.

DIFFICULT YEARS

Young little Sandy has no clue regarding the heartache she will experience through the years. All she wants is to someday become a wife and mother. Instead, God chose to give her years of infertility. Finally, after a difficult pregnancy, He blessed her with one child, a daughter. Sandy treasured Kelsey, her precious baby, red-haired just like her mom. Sandy glowed with joy.

Too bad Sandy trusted her husband to share the same love for their home. Their marriage deteriorated at an alarming rate. Sandy kept saying everything was fine. We knew it wasn’t. After years of abuse, Sandy’s parents finally convinced her that living with him would never improve. He possessed no desire to change.

COURAGEOUS AND FIERCE

My red-haired cousin with the huge grin became a single parent. She longed to stay home and concentrate on raising her daughter. Instead, she became part of the workforce, a role she never sought. Sandy grew courageous and fierce in taking care of Kelsey, providing a stable home, and relying on God each step of the way. Her smile stayed firmly planted on her face.

THEN CAME THE CANCER

Then came the cancer. Her doctor missed the warning signs. By the time she was diagnosed, the disease was Stage 4. Next came the surgeries, the chemo, the radiation, and the loss of her beautiful red hair. And all through this, Sandy still loved.

SANDY STILL LOVED

She not only loved family and friends, but she fiercely loved the temporary workers employed at her company. Most of them were from Central America and Sandy was their advocate in helping understand their adopted country, its culture and its laws. She is the one who drove to the jail in the middle of the night to help an employee who needed a friend to help navigate the system. Sandy was fierce despite everything she was personally going through. Sandy still loved.

People might ask what Sandy accomplished in her short life. She never went to college, never aspired to have a grand successful career, and didn’t want riches and fame. Instead, Sandy created a godly legacy that made a mark on all who knew her. We knew that she loved Jesus, no matter what evil planned for her.

SANDY’S LEGACY

My darling, beloved cousin, in my heart is a special place for your beautiful ear to ear grin. While the rest of the family in the picture is focused on their meal, were you somehow focused on the joy you would bring to so many? Your legacy taught me how to grin from ear to ear when the storms of life blow their hardest. Thank you, Cousin Sandy, for showing me Jesus.

This new life is starting right now, and is whetting our appetites for the glorious day when our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, appears. He offered himself as a sacrifice to free us from a dark, rebellious life into this good, pure life, making us a people he can be proud of, energetic in goodness. (Titus 2:12-14)

MY CROOKED LIFE

My eyesight is never upright. When I pull into a parking spot at church, regardless of my best intentions, my Kia ends up crooked between the lines.

I have permanent double vision. Even with a prism lens over my right eye, my vision is remains crooked. The word “upright” means to be erect; not bent or curved. My eyesight is never upright. When I pull into a parking spot at church, regardless of my best intentions, my Kia ends up crooked between the lines. One time a church parking attendant called this to my attention. I replied, “Sorry, that’s as good as it gets.” My vision is not upright, it is bent and curved.

PERMANENTLY BENT, CROOKED AND FLAWED

Both upright physical vision and upright spiritual living are impossible for me via my own resources. My spirit is crooked; permanently bent with sin.  Gift Gugu Mona (a South African poet and writer) wrote, “There can be no one better than yourself, so be the best version of you because no one is born to represent another.”. Sorry Ms. Mona, you are dead wrong. All of us are a version permanently bent, crooked and flawed by sin.

REBORN INTO HIS VERSION

This changed when I found new life in Christ. I was reborn into His version, meant to represent Him every second of the day. Born to reflect Him and Him alone.

POOR, POOR ISAIAH

Transported to heaven, the prophet Isaiah realizes that the best version of himself is in ruins. “I saw the Lord, high and exalted, seated on a throne; and the train of his robe filled the temple. Above him were seraphim, each with six wings: …And they were calling to one another: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory.” … the doorposts and thresholds shook and the temple was filled with smoke.

“Woe to me!” I cried. “I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the Lord Almighty” (Isaiah 6:1-5). Isaiah acknowledges he is lethally ruined by sin. No matter how he tries to live a self-controlled, upright and godly life, he is fatally crooked.

OUR CROOKED WORLD

Like the Cretins in Titus 2:11-14, we live in a confusing, crooked world, hardened by evil. The clock ticks away while we wait for the blessed hope, the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus. What are we as believers to do as the minutes pass by?

Jesus Christ, didn’t come teach us to be the best version of ourselves and give us pointers on how to be nicer people. He gave Himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for Himself a people that are His very own, eager to do what is good. God knows that even with all our best intentions, we are not upright. On our own we are bent, crooked and downright wicked.

COME TO THE END OF YOURSELF

Kara Tippetts observed, “When you come to the end of yourself, that’s when something else can begin.” Only by His grace can we come to the end of ourselves, and be redeemed and purified to be His possession, His people.

ENTHUSIASTIC FOR DOING GOOD

Christ’s purpose was to redeem us and purchase our freedom from all wickedness, and to purify for Himself a chosen and very special people to be His own possession, who are enthusiastic for doing what is good. He alone is the One Who changes and empowers us to be upright and spiritually park straight between His lines. We no longer have to live crooked.

Suggested reading – Kara Tippetts’ book: The Hardest Peace: Expecting Grace in the Midst of Life’s Hard

SOME DAYS MUST BE DARK AND DREARY

What do you do when a week feels like an eternity?

“Into each life some rain must fall, some days must be dark and dreary.” (except from  Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s poem “The Rainy Day”) Difficult times are a common part of life, but what about weeks? Months? Years?

The Fallen Warrior

How did King David feel as he endured the last decade of his life? This once strong warrior had defeated Goliath, brought the Philistines to their knees, and miraculously led a ragtag army through the wilderness while being chased by his relentless adversary, Saul. However, in the twilight of David’s life, two of his sons attempt to steal the throne from Dad. David’s health deteriorates due to age, stress, and exhaustion. He can no longer even stay warm at night. “Some days must be dark and dreary”.

Week that feels like an eternity

Rather than an entire season, what about experiencing just one dark and dreary week? That succession of days which feel like an eternity. I felt the oppression of such a week. The pressure as my heart drowned in a continual tide of confusion and fear. A client blew up at me over an issue that was not my making. The same day, a friend called me, still angry at God and life’s circumstances. I faced two medical appointments with specialists and had no direction whether either physical condition could be remedied. In the background is the continual pain I experience with a deteriorating back. Some weeks must be dark and dreary.

Unsettling hum of distress

It all contributes to an unsettling hum and sigh of distress. I can not control my circumstances. The only thing that I can do is cry out to God.

So glad that God doesn’t shut the door on me. When He sees my name on caller ID, God does not reject the call. He patiently listens and then He waits for me to listen. Often, I can’t hear the connection with Him because I am deaf, drowning in a my sea of spiritual dissonance.

The Choice

What do I do? What can I choose? Where can I focus my heart and mind?

David wrote this during some of his darkest days: “I sought the Lord, and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears. Those who look to him are radiant; their faces are never covered with shame. This poor man called, and the Lord heard him; he saved him out of all his troubles The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him, and he delivers them.” (Psalm 34:4-7)

This is the recipe for when “Into each life some rain must fall, some days must be dark and dreary.” You can embrace this prayer: “Lord, make my face radiant as I choose to look to You.”

For further encouragement, click to listen to Hannah’s story.

NOT A SOLITARY SPORT

True Christian living (especially when no one is looking) shows all the world what you truly believe about God. We are His team.

Read: Titus 2 (AMP, NIV, NLT)

Ever drive by athletes training for long distance running? They often run in packs, however, rarely are they laughing or interacting. Their feet steadily pound the pavement, one grueling mile after another. It is an agonizing solitary sport.

CHURCH IS “ALL PLAY”

A healthy church is not a solitary sport. Andrew McClure describes the church body as “All Play”.  He recounts his days of playing basketball: “It was our responsibility as a team to put into practice the things we learned. One week we drilled a zone defense. To learn the concept our coach tied one big rope around all of our waists. If the ball moved to the left wing, everyone in unison would shift left. If the ball moved to the corner, everyone would shift to their places. The rope taught us to move in unison. To move with synergy.” We learned the duty of each individual impacts the strength and effectiveness of the whole.

The Cretins said they believed, but there was a disconnect in how they interacted as a team. They professed to know God but didn’t “make the teaching about God our Savior attractive in every way.”

INTER-GENERATIONAL TEAMWORK

Paul gives guidelines to the Cretin church, regardless of age, gender, or profession. No believer is exempt. Older men are to exercise self-control, be respectable, live wisely, know God well and be filled with love and patience. They are to teach this to the younger men. Older women are to honor God, not speak badly of others. They are to teach others, especially the younger women, what is good. This is inter-generational living and teaching in the church. It is expected teamwork; not a solitary sport.

The life of a woman in the pagan Roman world was challenging. Marriages were often arranged and loving both husbands and children was not the norm. Making it a priority to live wisely, purely, and to keep one’s home running smoothly was a Christian concept. Being respectful of their husbands and not bringing shame on the Word of God separated the Christian women from the pagans.

In the Cretin culture, how were the slaves or the bond servants to live? Counterculturally: to obey their bosses, behave as employees of Christ, not talk back or steal, and be entirely trustworthy and good. This behavior was nonconformist because the Holy Spirit empowered and drove it.

LIVES PROPELLED BY GRACE

All these behaviors bloom out of lives propelled by grace.  For the grace of God has been revealed, bringing salvation to all people. And we are instructed to turn from godless living and sinful pleasures. We should live in this evil world with wisdom, righteousness, and devotion to God, … He gave his life to free us from every kind of sin, … and to purify for Himself a chosen and very special people to be His own possession, who are enthusiastic for doing what is good.  (Titus 2:11-14) True Christian living (especially when no one is looking) shows all the world what you truly believe about God. We are His team; we are not solitary players.

Another person who knew something about living out truth was William Wilberforce. He spent his life ending slavery in Britain. A body of believers, especially John Newton (former slave trader and writer of “Amazing Grace”), nurtured him in the Gospel. Do you realize you are God’s possession? Are you enthusiastic for doing good? Your lifestyle impacts the strength and effectiveness of the entire body of believers.

Click to read the story of John Newton

MADE NEW BY THE CREATOR

And there it sat in the middle of our living room. It indeed was an eyesore – the outside finish yellowed by the years of neglect; definitely not a thing of beauty.

Stamped into my DNA before time began, God made me a “Creative”. My mind processes information in pictures. Mentally, I take things apart and redesign them. I take the discards of life and put them back together, so they are both functional and beautiful.

THE EYESORE

A friend of mine was clearing out the estate of her mother. Sitting in her mom’s bedroom was the cedar chest. Years of neglect had taken their toll. The piece treasured by her mom was the wedding present from her true love half a century ago. Now it was an eyesore in a pile of belongings the family didn’t want to toss away but also had no place to keep.

I received the call. “Would you be interested in Mom’s cedar chest? If so, it is yours for free. You can do with it whatever you want.” The words “free”, “cedar” and “do with it what you want” all resonated in my heart. The perfect combination for joy.

CAN OLD BE MADE NEW?

A friend dropped it off at our apartment. Bill and I awkwardly lugged it up the two flights of stairs. The cedar chest was far heavier than it looked. Bill didn’t share my joy as he viewed the piece skeptically. He wondered, “What has Jacqui agreed to now?” I viewed the chest with hope.

PLANS MADE FOR BEAUTY

And there it sat in the middle of our living room. It indeed was an eyesore – the outside finish yellowed by the years of neglect; definitely not a thing of beauty. The chest monopolized space while I brainstormed how I could resurrect it. Bill grew increasingly frustrated day by day as it resided smack dab in the middle of the room. Finally, after about six weeks I came up with a game plan. The picture finally formed in my imagination for the future of the chest to make it both functional and beautiful.

Bill was out of the apartment on the day I pushed and pulled the chest out to the back porch. Covered with sweat, I began removing the finish with my electric sander. I consider this part the treasure hunt: discovering what exists under the top layers of a piece. Will glory or disaster be revealed? I was blessed. The exterior wood just needed multiple sanding to reveal a lovely woodgrain. I treated top and back with Danish Oil. The metal trim work needed cleaning but was reattached as good as new.

Next came the front and sides. What could complement the stained wood? Multiple layers of a cream base paint did the trick.

Finally came the best part, what I call the “jewelry” details of furniture reimagining: multiple layers of stenciling. I echoed the stenciling on the bare cedar interior and the top of the piece. Hours and hours of tedious work, but well worth the effort.

THE “JEWELRY” APPLIED

Lovingly, I had carefully taken apart the eyesore of the past and created a new future. With the addition of a wheelbase, the chest is my new coffee table. This piece that is cherished, at least my generation.

HOW OUR CREATOR WORKS

Isn’t that how God works in our lives? Our Creator longs to take the ruins of our lives and put them back together so they are both functional and beautiful. He strips away the stains of our past and gives us a future of beauty, far better than we could ever imagine. Creating is in God’s DNA.

THE HANDYMAN’S SKILLS REVEALED

Are your skills as a believer evident to those closest to you?

Read: Titus 1:1-16 (Amplified & New Living Translation)

Welcome to Simon’s house. He is a Handyman by trade. When you walk through the front door you notice that the molding missing from the door. To the left, you see bare wiring exposed where the switch plate should be. A hole is in the plasterboard around the hall light. The living room is only partially painted. Yes, Simon calls himself a handyman, but those skills aren’t visible in his own home. What does he think of his own work?

SKILLSET NEEDED FOR LEADERSHIP

What did Titus think of the skills of the prospective church elders he had to choose from? Newly appointed by the Apostle Paul to serve in Crete, Titus was to “set right what remains unfinished and appoint elders in every city.” (Paul led many to the faith and Titus’ job was to organize churches in which to grow and mature the new believers. Many men may have thought they were qualified to lead, but Titus needed to be particular in making that choice. The candidates required the mindset of Christ.

THE CULTURE OF THE CANDIDATES

In the Cretin culture, telling the truth was not considered a virtue. This hindered Titus’ search. How could he find believers who weren’t under suspicion of being immoral or rebellious? Furthermore, the candidates had to exhibit such high character as to be blameless. The requirements were a high skillset in following Christ. Where could he find men who were peaceful, weren’t addicts, and were totally honest?

NOT GIVING UP AND JUST MAKING DO

Titus didn’t throw up his hands and say, “Well, I guess since we are short-handed, I’ll just have to make do with these guys.” He searched for those who loved people and adored what was pure and wholesome. Titus sought leaders totally sold out to Christ. Paul writes about the danger of it being devious times. Titus looked for those who devoted to knowing the Word of God and who could refute the false teachers abundant in Crete.

HIGH STAKES

Paul realized the stakes were high. “For there are many rebellious men who are empty talkers [just windbags] and deceivers.” Titus pursued solid believers to lead the fledgling churches; men who not only skilled as believers, but who daily practiced living with Jesus as Lord. The pressure of living in Crete as a believer was enormous. Paul knows it is not a time to have leadership be weak in living out the Christian life.

HOW DO YOUR SKILLS RATE?

Whether you are a man or a woman, how would the Apostle Paul rate your skills in living your Christian life? If you had to fill out a questionnaire, would the Holy Spirit confirm you have acquired these character traits Titus searched for? Can your dearest friends attest you live a blameless life, are not arrogant or quick-tempered, not a drinker,not violent, and not dishonest with money? Are they always encouraged because of your positive conversations? Do they know you belong totally to Jesus and aim to always live a disciplined life devoted to Christ?

WHO TO ASK FOR GROWTH IN SKILLS

Ask yourself if you put in the work and obedience to learn from the Holy Spirit the skills of the life God envisions for you. Simon, our friend the self-proclaimed “handyman” had a business card proclaiming his abilities. But Simon’s real skills, or lack thereof, were exhibited in his own home. Are your skills as a believer evident to those closest to you? Why not ask the Holy Spirit to reveal to you your Christian life skills this week? Ask Him to help you mature in your spiritual life. I bet Simon’s family wished he was a better handyman and even more – a better follower of Christ.

WHO DO I TRUST?

The wind and waves of this storm just would not stop.  The storm raged on for eight long years……96 months.

She experience years of agony, longing for a child, yet God refused their requests. Tears streamed down her face as she said:

EVERY MONTH HOPE WAS CRUSHED

“Silence can be deafening.  Every fiber of my being longed to hear the cry of a baby. As with Hannah of the Old Testament, my body did not satisfy this longing.  We endured an onslaught of invasive tests and treatments and the loss of our baby early in pregnancy.  More doctors and drugs and more excruciating, painful silence followed. Every month our hope crushed on the rocks by yet another huge wave of disappointment. The wind and waves of this storm just would not stop.  The storm raged on for eight long years……96 months.

NO END IN SIGHT

“Those not knowing our struggle, kept asking when we would start our family. Each inquiry felt like a dagger tearing at our hearts.  I plastered a smile on my face during countless baby showers, then wept uncontrollably on the way home.  Every Mother’s Day savagely rubbed jagged salt into my bleeding soul. I was absolutely thrilled for my friends and sisters-in-law when I held their babies in the hospital. After those visits, I sobbed as my husband held me at home. When will it be our turn, Lord? This pain burned into my soul, with no end in sight.

WHO DO I TRUST?

“I asked myself, “Do I trust you, Lord? Do I believe You are really in control? Can I be at peace in this storm?” As the Holy Spirit helped me grow into the lyrics, the answer was a resounding “Yes!”. My relationship with God deepened and becamemore intimate. His presence came to bea healing, refreshing place full of joy, despite my circumstances. Worship transformed into something much more meaningful in this storm.  God was worthy of our praise and admiration, regardless of our circumstances.”

HONEST QUESTIONS

Eventually, due to a set of events worthy of its own story, my friend unexpectedly became an adoptive mom. The following lyrics best describe her journey. Maybe they describe your current season? Is it time to ask honest questions: “Do I trust you, Lord? Do I believe You are really in control? Can I be at peace in this storm?”

“Praise You in the Storm” by Casting Crowns lyrics are:

I was sure by now God, You would have reached down and wiped our tears away, stepped in and saved the day. But once again I say, “A-men” and it’s still rainin’. As the thunder rolls I barely hear Your whisper through the rain, “I’m with you”. And as Your mercy falls, I’ll raise my hands and praise the God who gives and takes away.

I’ll praise You in this storm and I will lift my hands for You are who You are, no matter where I am. Every tear I’ve cried, You hold in Your hand; You never left my side and though my heart is torn. I will praise You in this storm. I remember when I stumbled in the wind You heard my cry, You raised me up again. But my strength is almost gone. How can I carry on if I can’t find You?

You are who You are, no matter where I am. Every tear I’ve cried You hold in Your hand. You never left my side and though my heart is torn I will praise You in this storm. I lift my eyes unto the hills where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the maker of heaven and earth.

For further suggested meditation: Psalm 121

HE’S NOT LEAVING

Where oh where was God’s voice amid the pain that never let up? Had God left the house?

My friend saw her life shattered into pieces and scattered to the wind. Where oh where was God’s voice amid the pain that never let up? Had God left the house?

WHEN ALL HOPE HAS FLED

There is a quote from Chad Prather fits the bill entirely for that moment we feel deserted, alone, and all hope has fled. The crucial time when we need to hear God speak those precious words, “I’m not leaving.”

MICROWAVE GROANS

He’s your Father. And sometimes the most powerful prayer is a groan so deep only the Spirit can interpret it. He hears the messy stuff. The rage. The silence. The disappointment. He understands “microwave moans”.

HE SITS IN IT WITH YOU

He’s not offended by the broken grammar of a crushed heart. God is not looking for polished people. He’s drawn to shattered ones. You don’t need to clean up your grief to bring it to Him. He sits in it with you. He wraps Himself around your pain and whispers, “I’m not leaving”. (From “Born for Meaning” by Chad Prather)

GOD IS FOR US

The Apostle Paul shared similar thoughts. “What then shall we say to all these things? If God is for us, who can be [successful] against us? He who did not spare [even] His own Son, but gave Him up for us all, how will He not also, along with Him, graciously give us all things? Who will bring any charge against God’s elect (His chosen ones)? It is God who justifies us [declaring us blameless and putting us in a right relationship with Himself]. Who is the one who condemns us? Christ Jesus is the One who died [to pay our penalty], and more than that, who was raised [from the dead], and who is at the right hand of God interceding [with the Father] for us. 

Who shall ever separate us from the love of Christ? Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword?  Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors and gain an overwhelming victory through Him who loved us [so much that He died for us]. 

For I am convinced [and continue to be convinced—beyond any doubt] that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present and threatening, nor things to come, nor powers,  nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the [unlimited] love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:31-39)

God’s not leaving….

WHO’S YOUR FATHER?

Thomas Edison is called the “Father of the Lightbulb” because he was the creator of the lightbulb.  Lightbulbs were not part of Mr. Edison’s family; they are his creation.

“We are all God’s children,” were the first words out of Susie’s mouth as she tried to comfort a grieving friend. Sorry Susie! Not all who attend GCC are God’s children and not even all the citizens of New Danville are God’s children. Susie didn’t tell the truth.

CREATIONS VERSUS PARENTAGE

We are not naturally God’s children. Only by understanding this concept does this passage in Romans make sense. It is true that God is the Creator of all people. Thomas Edison is called the “Father of the Lightbulb” because he was the creator of the lightbulb.  Lightbulbs were not part of Mr. Edison’s family; they are his creation.

Many creations of God will spend eternity in hell. Jesus said to the religious crowd, You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies. (John 8:44)

ADOPTION OUR ONLY HOPE

“All creations of God, but not all children of God” can a hard truth to swallow. However, one only becomes a child of God by being born-again. We all enter this world as enemies of God because we are born with a sin nature. This separates us from God and aligns us with Satan. Our only hope is through adoption.

MEANING OF ADOPTION

J. I. Packer in his classic “Knowing God” reminds us in the ancient world, “Adoption was a practice ordinarily confined to the childless well-to-do. Its subjects . . . were not normally infants, as today, but young adults who had shown themselves fit and able to carry on a family name in a worthy way. In this case, however, God adopts us out of free love, not because our character and record show us worthy to bear His name, but despite the fact that they show the very opposite. We are not fit for a place in God’s family; the idea of His loving and exalting us sinners as He loves and has exalted the Lord Jesus sounds ludicrous and wild – yet that, and nothing less than that, is what our adoption means”

JUSTIFICATION DIFFERENT THAN ADOPTION

When you are justified by faith in Christ, you stand before God as Judge and He declares: “Not guilty! Righteous through faith in Jesus!” Adoption is different from justification. Sam Storms writes: “God the Judge steps down from behind his legal bench, removes his stately robes, stoops down and takes you into his arms of love and says softly: ‘My son, my daughter, my child!’ God rescued me from the terminal condition of sin and made me his child. Divine adoption isn’t concerned with physical health or financial wealth or potential or one’s past history.”

DECREE SEALED BY CHRIST

That Spiritual Adoptive Decree is sealed by love with the blood of Christ and signed by the God who cannot lie! Thomas R. Schreiner preached: “As adoptees, we inherit God himself! Imagine the reading of the divine will: ‘I God, being of sound mind and body, do hereby bequeath to all my children, Me!’ Simply put, believers are heirs not merely of what God has promised . . . but of God himself.”

OUR INHERITANCE

“Whom have I in heaven but you? And besides you, I desire nothing on earth. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion [my inheritance] forever” (Psalm 73:25-26) Only the adoptees receive God’s inheritance.

Who’s your Eternal Daddy? I pray your “Spiritual Adoptive Decree” is sealed with the blood of Christ and signed by the God who cannot lie.

THE TEST I DIDN’T STUDY FOR

We’ve all been there—facing circumstances that leave us thinking, “I wasn’t prepared for this.”

I saw a sign with the words: “My life is like a test that I didn’t study for.” I couldn’t help but agree. There are moments in life that feel exactly like those unexpected exams for which I feel completely unprepared. Plans fall apart, job security vanishes, anxiety creeps in, a doctor’s report shakes our world, or the loss of a loved one leaves us breathless. We’ve all been there—facing circumstances that leave us thinking, “I wasn’t prepared for this.”

I DIDN’T STUDY FOR THIS

How many times have you found yourself saying, “Why me? God, I’m facing so many tests and trials. I didn’t study for this.” I know I’ve asked that many times. Yet it’s often in these very moments that God does His most important work in us. Our tests and trials reveal what we truly believe.

REFINED BY FIRE

When life is smooth, trusting God feels easy. When life becomes difficult, our faith needs to grow stronger as we lean on our Savior. As reminds us, “These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory, and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.” (1 Peter 1:7) Like gold refined by fire, our faith becomes purer and more resilient through life’s refining process. The test can bring praise to Jesus Christ.

PURPOSE OF TESTING

Each test serves a purpose. James 1:2-4 says, “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.James understood that God’s tribulations are not to break us, but to develop and encourage us. “Pure joy” is akin to the feeling of passing a test and finding you received the highest mark in the class. We study, obey and pass, discovering the Holy Spirit truly is working in our lives.  

LESSONS WE LEARN

Life rarely goes according to our design. God’s curriculum standards are different. We learn valuable lessons: patience through waiting, meekness through disappointment, resilience through sorrow; and faith in every battle of uncertainty. The “pop quizzes” in life teach us who we are and Who Jesus really is: our Teacher, our Father, and our Savior.  

ULTIMATE OPEN BOOK EXAM

Ever have an open book exam? God’s test is the ultimate open book exam.  The Bible is our study guide and our Cliff Notes! When your life feels like a test you didn’t study for, open His word. It contains the answers to all the questions of life. “If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.” (James 1:5) Scripture gives us the answers to our test questions.

OUR TEACHER

The Holy Spirit is our Teacher. He holds every answer to life’s test questions; all we need to do is ask. Remember, God isn’t grading you on a curve or holding you to a perfection standard. He’s growing your perseverance through life’s tests. When you feel uncertain, overwhelmed, or weary, remember that you are already equipped with God’s Word and His promises.

Your Teacher doesn’t keep office hours—He’s available 24/7. Go to Him, and He will prepare you for life’s pop quizzes. Through every trial, as you place each test in His hands, the roots of your faith will grow deeper. Your life won’t be like the test you didn’t study for.