When the storms of life are raging, stand by me;
when the storms of life are raging, stand by me;
when the world is tossing me like a ship upon the sea,
Thou who rulest the wind and water, stand by me.
In the midst of tribulation, stand by me;
in the midst of tribulation, stand by me;
when the host of hell assail, and my strength begins to fail,
Thou who never lost a battle, stand by me.
In the midst of faults and failures, stand by me;
in the midst of faults and failures, stand by me;
when I’ve done the best I can, and my friends
misunderstand,
Thou who knowest all about me, stand by me.
In the midst of persecution, stand by me;
in the midst of persecution, stand by me;
when my foes in war array, undertake to stop my way,
Thou who rescued Paul and Silas, stand by me.
When I’m growing old and feeble, stand by me;
when I’m growing old and feeble, stand by me;
when my life becomes a burden, and I’m nearing
chilly Jordan,
O Thou Lily of the Valley, stand by me.
“Stand By Me”, by Charles Albert Tindley (1851-1933), a Methodist Minister.
There are many tests in life we have to pass. Some do well, others not so well.
There is a funny thing between my husband and I when we are watching TV and there is some mathematical or chemistry discussion going on, he will interrupt the show to explain about something in more detail and then he will inevitably say “You Will Be Tested”! Of course I just roll my eyes and we move on. But in this life we live, we are tested every day, not just in the realm of every day stuff, but for the future, which of course means how we answer to what God has for us.
“And you shall remember that the Lord your God led you all the way these forty years in the wilderness, to humble you and test you, to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep His commandments or not.” Deuteronomy 8:2. As Moses was bringing the people of Israel out of the wilderness, he was emphasising and wanted them to realize all that God had done for them to bring them to the Promised Land. Our hearts are our true natures and what is in that heart is tested. The devil tests us to bring out the worst in us and God tests us to bring out the best in us.
“So He humbled you, allowed you to hunger, and fed you with manna which you did not know nor did your fathers know, that He might make you know that man shall not live by bread alone; but man lives by every word that proceeds from the mouth of the Lord.” Deuteronomy 8:3. God withholds things from us in order to secure our dependence on Him. He wants us to go to Him with our needs, because it’s a process where we allow God to go both before us, to lead us and beside us to comfort and protect us. It’s not always feeding us with actual food, but by the words God speaks to us. It’s not so much what we want, but what we need. God already knows our needs.
“You should know in your heart that as a man chastens his son, so the Lord your God chastens you.” Deuteronomy 8:5. God disciplines us because He loves us. God wants us to be everything we can potentially be. He wants us to amount to everything we could possibly amount to. Our earthly fathers discipline us to teach us right from wrong. When we do something wrong we are chastised so the next time the same problem arises we remember and we don’t do it again. God’s discipline is the same.
Tests prove “the genuineness of our faith”. God is constantly watching how we respond to people, problems, success, conflict, illness and disappointments. God tests our patience. How long are we willing to wait on Him. This test results in mature understanding and we become more holy. It is very necessary. God tests our faith in pain and suffering. Sometimes we are afflicted with health problems, do we put our faith in Him and our doctors to see us through, or just our doctors? Do we trust God even when we don’t understand the reason, if we are healed or not? Most of the time we come out the other side more strong and more thankful.
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego were tested and showed their faith. Daniel 3:16-18, “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego replied to the king, “Nebuchadnezzar, we don’t need to give you an answer to this question. If the God we serve exists, then He can rescue us from the furnace of blazing fire, and He can rescue us from the power of you, the king. But even if He does not rescue us, we want you as king to know that we will not serve your gods or worship the gold statue you set up.” How do you know if you are faithful unless you are tempted with unfaithfulness?
We are tested with love. Trials can reveal whom or what we love most in our lives. They reveal our priorities and desires. The Lord wants us to love Him more than anybody else or anything else. John 3:16, “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” If this tells us of the love God has for us and the extent of that love, when we are tested about love for God, will we be like Peter and forsake Jesus like we never knew Him, or will we stand firm that He is everything to us.
We might be tested for our endurance. Could we keep going like Paul did when he was beaten with rods; was stoned; was shipwrecked. Faced dangers from rivers, from robbers, dangers from his own people and from the Gentiles. Faced dangers in the cities, and hardships, sleepless nights, hunger and thirst, often without food, cold, and lacking clothing. Would we fold and call it a day, or would we keep moving forward and perservere. Romans 5:3-5, “And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope. Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.”
A Test of Humility. Humility is not thinking less of yourself. It is thinking of yourself less.
When we pass God’s tests, we experience not only material blessings but also spiritual growth and deeper intimacy with Him. Every test we face is a step closer to the fulfillment of God’s promises. James 1:12 says, “Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.”
God tests us in many ways. Why? To bless us. His commandments are to guide us to a blessing. To give us guard rails to stop us from going into a pit of sin. He loves us and longs for us to be His only. Are you willing to be tested…You Will Be Tested!
If you don’t know Jesus as your personal Saviour but would like to, just say this little prayer and ask Him into your heart. From then on, not if, but when you are tested, He will be by your side. Testing is meant not to harm you but calling you to a higher level of faith. When we accept Jesus as our Saviour, we are also blessed with the Holy Spirit. We need to be Spirit filled in order to go through the tests and trials and come out better on the other side.
2 Corinthians 4:17 encourages us: “For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory.”
The greater the test the greater the blessing!