Passing God's Test: Trusting Jehovah Jireh Through Trials

``If god is testing you today, it's because he knows there's things in you that only pressure can get out. You don't know how strong you are until god puts some weight on the bar. You don't know what you can handle until god puts you in a situation that he exhorts the energy out of you that he already put in you because he knew in the future the test he would have for you but every present test reveals something to set you up for future blessing. Meaning, god uses my right now to prepare me for not yet. So, how I handle today's test will determine if god trust me with more treasure. It's a test. [00:35:39] (53 seconds)  #PressureRevealsStrength

Child of god as we stand at the beginning of a brand new year here at the Saint Thomas Missionary Baptist Church, the lord is calling us into a deeper season of alignment. Alignment with his word, alignment with his will, and alignment with his ways. And alignment never begins with our mouths. It always begins with our faith. It is not simply believing god in general but obeying god in every detail. It is not merely worshiping god when life is comfortable but trusting god when life becomes costly. [00:26:52] (46 seconds)  #AlignmentByFaith

The new King James version said, test. That's not the proper word in the King James version because this is not attempt. It's a test. What do you mean? It is a word. Watch this. It simply means to examine thoroughly, to prove the strength of something, to stretch the capacity of something, to reveal a hidden quality, to prepare for greater responsibility. It is not a word of destruction. It is a word of development. [00:34:39] (26 seconds)  #TestsBuildCapacity

After years of walking with the lord, god test Abraham in the most sensitive area of his life with the child he loves. Not to harm him but to shape him, not to punish him, but to prepare him. Child of god, this year is not going to be test free. There's going to be some high and some hard things that the lord calls us to but just because it's high and hard don't mean we won't have the lord's help. Amen. [00:29:44] (45 seconds)  #GodHelpsInTrials

Remember, tests are not designed to destroy. They're designed to develop this week as I was writing this sermon. I did a study. It's called the Jacksonville Bridge Capacity. Here in Jacksonville, before any major bridge opens, the Danes Point Bridge, the Fuller Warren expansion, or the Main Street Bridges Downtown. Engineers conduct what they called a load bearing capacity test. They place heavy equipment and trucks across the structure to determine whether the bridge can carry what the city needs it to carry. The pressure is not meant to break the bridge. It is meant to prove the strength of the bridge. The test reveals the capacity that is already built into the structure. [00:39:19] (47 seconds)  #TestsRevealCapacity

The structure of the test. God never sends a test that doesn't have a divine architecture. This test isn't random. It is structured environment for the revelation of his presence. Simply meaning, to for god to show himself strong, he gotta put you in something hard. You don't need god if you can see your way. You don't need god if you already know what the other side look like. You don't need god if you can handle every task with your mind. You need god when you can't see to the other side of what you're going through. [00:42:32] (51 seconds)  #DivineTestDesign

What is the structure of the test then? Watch this. So, Abraham rose early in the morning. Notice the promptness but then notice the perseverance. Wanna show you the promptness. Notice, he rose early in the morning. Abraham rose early is demonstrating that immediate action is the only true response to a divine mandate. See, if you don't move when you hear god, you going get in your own head and don't obey him. Let me say it again. If we don't move as soon as we hear god, we going to talk ourselves out of obedience. Abraham doesn't delay. He gets up and he goes where god says go. The longer we delay, we prolong what god has for us. Somebody this morning, you're saying you're waiting on god. No, you ain't. God is waiting on you. [00:43:24] (64 seconds)  #PromptObedience

What what does he do here? Notice, he walks three days. Notice the details. He walks three days. He splits the wood. He climbs the mountain. He builds the altar. He ties down Isaac. He raises the knife. The structure of the test is involved in intentional sequence that required Abraham. Watch this, to leave distractions at the base of the mountain and keep walking until he reached the place god designated. [00:46:15] (34 seconds)  #IntentionalJourney