Heart Test

It was Hezekiah who blocked the upper outlet of the Gihon Spring and channeled the water down to the west side of the City of David.  He succeeded in everything he undertook.  But when envoys were sent by the rulers of Babylon to ask him about the miraculous sign that had occurred in the land, God left him to test him and to know everything that was in his heart. ~ 2 Chronicles 32:30-31

Tests.  Nobody likes them.  Tests are meant to measure our knowledge, skill, and capability.  No one likes to feel inadequate, but often that’s how tests make us feel.  Then you have the medical tests that make us anxious as we wait to hear if we are healthy, or not.  Negative result, positive result – all so overwhelming.  What if I told you life is a test?  A test of our character.  It only makes sense that once in a while God would test us for His glory and to purify, or refine our hearts.  In today’s world it’s easy to get comfortable and complacent in our beliefs.  Most people aren't pushing you to answer, or act how you say you believe because we’ve all just accepted everything.  No one wants to offend anyone, so we let everyone do, say, act and believe whatever/however they want with no questions.  Intent on building His followers' character to be more like His own, God will test us and intentionally pull back and withdraw, or be silent in order to see what is truly in our heart.  Hezekiah was a successful king and had destroyed idols and brought worship back to God and celebrated when He watched God intervene and save Judah from the Assyrians.  So now, after much success from God, God wanted to see how Hezekiah would respond to these Babylonian ambassadors on his own.  Would he give credit where credit was due?  The sneaky attitude of pride crept into Hezekiah’s heart and he began to show all his kingdom and treasure to the ambassadors as if he had done this all by himself.  Instead of giving God the glory, Hezekiah took the glory.  The truth of the matter is we can all be swayed into loving the things of this world more than God.  We all have had idols take the place of our God as number one for a time.  It’s so easy to put Christ on the back burner when things are going our way in life.  Sometimes our priorities get mixed up and shuffled around.  The tests God gives us are not about head knowledge, they are about heart and soul knowledge.  They are character building tests and we all have areas of weakness.  Fire, while extremely dangerous, can also be used to refine and purify metals and golds.  In the same way, God may use fire to refine us.  You may experience deep, profound, unthinkable loss to watch it grow into a beautiful and spiritual awakening months, even years later that never would have taken place without devastation first.  God's tests come in many different forms, and some we may not even notice, but life is a test.  A test of your character and loyalty given any situation.  Being tested does not mean you're being punished.  Being tested means God sees you and wants to use you for His greater purposes.  In this world there will be many tests.  I strive to pass them all! ~ Amen