I was sharing with one of my boys that people love to hear stories about testimonies of God’s faithfulness like those of Hudson Taylor, George Mueller and those of people today, but you know what happens before there is a testimony? Consider the first four letters of “Testimony,” which are T-E-S-T.

A  T-E-S-T  OF FAITH PRECEDES EVERY TESTIMONY!

For every testimony to the faithfulness of God which people enjoy hearing, people listening forget, or don’t understand that people go through testings of their faith… He had been going through a test and got the point,”the testing of your faith being more precious than Gold.”{1 Peter 1:7}. God is building a story in his life, and I told him he needs to GO BACK to past testings and REMEMBER what God has done. In time of testings, go back to remember God’s faithfulness as fuel for your faith in present T-E-S-T’S. Today’s T-ES-T-‘S Tomorrows Testimonies!

GEORGE MUELLER

George Mueller said his hardest TESTS were in his latter years. Considering how God had met him in earlier years you wonder how could he say that? Because He who values the currency of Heaven, which is faith {Heb 11:6..”…without faith it is IMPOSSIBLE to please God.”} God will ALWAYS STRETCH us… TO REACH Up to … TRUST HIM.

Your T-E-S-T’S of FAITH TODAY ARE Tomorrows TESTIMONIES.

They are ultimately to exalt GOD, spiritually produce perseverance, mature you and… ENCOURAGE OTHERS TO TRUST AND PRAISE AND ADMIRE Him! -{Read Romans 5:3-4; James 1:2-4; 1 Peter 1:5-7.}

FAILING THE TESTS?

But what about failing in the tests and having a testimony of not trusting God? Don’t worry. Take Hope in God. He has made provision, through the Blood of The Lord Jesus that “…continually cleanses us from ALL sin…If we confess our sins He is Faithful and Just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from ALL unrighteousness.”- {1 John 1:7-9,} Read the “hall of faith’ Hebrews 11 of people who had known great failures in their lives at particular testings BUT GOD worked in them and through them, like He is with you and in the end of Hebrews 11 it says of these “great failures” as some might say, there is a “But God…” “ALL OF THESE GAINED APPROVAL THROUGH THEIR FAITH.” {Hebrews 11:39}. How wonderful that our failures are not final with God. Begin a fresh and trust Him. If you are riding a bike and you fall of what do yo do? Get back on and keep cycling. If your playing golf and it goes into the sand, what do you do? Take the appropriate club and get out of there. “The blood of Jesus cleanses us from all unrighteousness…the just shall live by faith… we walk by faith and not by sight… looking away to JESUS the author and perfecter of our faith… the live I live, I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave Himself up for me!” {1 John 1:9;Romans 1:17;2 Cor 5:7;Hebrews 12:2;Galatians 2:20}

 The Testing of your faith is not out to embarrass you or for you to fail but to spiritually strengthen you to continually trust, to grow in faith.

ABRAHAM;

Abraham did not get to the place where He would do anything that God be worshiped in Genesis 22. Between chapter 12 and 22 there was faith expressed, fears that caused him to turn away from trusting God to leaning to his own understanding. God did not give up on Him, as He has not given up on us. Abraham’s faith was developed, and he was known as ” the friend of God.” His Testimony was preceded by T-ES-T-‘S.

Consider Abraham, God had promised him a son and he was nearly 100 years old and nothing and yet we read in Romans chapter 4 these words,  In hope against hope he believed, so that he might become a father of many nations according to that which had been spoken, “So shall your descendants be.” Without becoming weak in faith he contemplated his own body, now as good as dead since he was about a hundred years old, and the deadness of Sarah’s womb; yet, with respect to the promise of God, he did not waver in unbelief but grew strong in faith, giving glory to God, and being fully assured that what God had promised, He was able also to perform.”

Abraham’s faith was tested over YEARS, yet God did not fail to fulfill His promise as He always does. It may not be in your time but always He is on time  and your TESTS are meant to produce in you,spiritual stamina, spiritual maturity, and the dogged endurance of strength to trust God in the face of trials! And from it comes a TESTIMONY of God and to God through you! {James 1:2-5}.

“Trials are the protein for our spiritual muscles”– Noah McKenzie

 

There is purpose in your T-E-S-T of FAITH… it is the making of a TESTIMONY to God for others to know of Him! TRUST in the LORD.

I enjoyed my time with my son in talking about his TESTS and seeking to encourage him God was producing faith in Him and TESTIMONIES of His faithfulness to build up his faith and that others may hear of the faithfulness of God!

  

A  T-E-S-T  OF FAITH PRECEDES EVERY TESTIMONY!

Your T-E-S-T’S of FAITH TODAY ARE Tomorrows TESTIMONIES.

 Your response of TRUSTING God in your T-E-S-T-S are the making of your TESTIMONY of GOD to others!