DEUTERONOMY 13:1-4 – “If a prophet or a dreamer of dreams arises among you and gives you a sign or a wonder, and the sign or wonder that he tells you comes to pass, and if he says, ‘Let us go after other gods,’ which you have not known, ‘and let us serve them,’ you shall not listen to the words of that prophet or that dreamer of dreams. For the Lord your God is testing you, to know whether you love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul. You shall walk after the Lord your God and fear him and keep his commandments and obey his voice, and you shall serve him and hold fast to him.”
THEME OF THE DAY. A TEST EVERY CHRISTIAN TAKES – DAILY. Today’s scripture might be labeled “God’s Test for His Children.” It is easy to recognize its presence – For the Lord your God is testing you, to know whether you love the Lord your God will all your heart and with all your soul. The test is in the context of choosing the God we will serve. And the God we choose to serve will be revealed by the love we give to that God. Now, let’s not quickly say, “I pass this test with flying colors. I know there is only One True God. I don’t go after other gods.” Here is why we must not be too quick with this test; anything or anyone we place above the One True God in hearts, minds, and lives is a false god and makes us idolaters. Imagine being a Christian and yet an idolater. And it is easy. Think about the people and things we are tempted to put ahead of God in our lives; family, jobs, material things, pleasure, recreation, hobbies . . . and we will know if these are idols by comparing the quality of time we give over to them with the quality of time we give to the Lord.
So, each of us takes a test every day and God is the Administrator of the test. In doing so, how may we pass this test of love? Let me offer two helps.
First, as we would study to do well on a literal test, study our hearts to do well on this test of all tests. Do so by following the command of the Apostle Paul – Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you fail to meet the test (2 Corinthians 13:5). In examining our hearts, ask the hard question – “Am I placing any relationship or anything in my life above the priority relationship with Jesus Christ?” And do this examining frequently because the temptation to replace Christ in our hearts with another human being or thing is constant.
Another thing we may do to pass this test is grasp it is obeying a command. And not just any command but the GREATEST COMMAND. Look what Moses does. He identifies the test – “For the Lord your God is testing you” and then tells us its purpose – “To know whether you love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul.” Friends, God is testing our obedience. He is revealing to us how serious we are about loving Him which means obeying Him. If we are to do well on this exam of all exams, we must understand, really understand, that our whole purpose in life and our new life in Christ is to obey God. Serious Christians who mean business with God are those who take His commands to heart and take specific steps to obey them. In doing so, we tell the Lord, “I love You. I really do.”
Well, it’s exam day . . . every day. How are we doing? Are we preparing for it by self-examination and being serious toward its demands of obedience? May God help us pass it with flying colors each and every day of life.
PRAYER: “Father, help me pass the test of loving You by consistent and purposeful obedience to You.”
QUOTE: “God will test us, not for Him to know the condition of our heart toward Him, but for our sake.”