The Test

As I read through the eleventh and twelfth chapters of Romans this morning, I was star struck at tthought of the love that our heavenly Father has for us.  The explanations of how much God loves the Jews as well as the Gentiles made me stop and write down the heartfelt truth that was pulsating through my being at the time, simply that: “I know that God’s love never fails!”  It really doesn’t matter how bad a mess we have made of our lives, His love for us is infallible.  His heart cries out for our fellowship and when we yield to Him for help, He is ready and waiting to pour His love out toward us.

Wow!  If that is not enough to jump start your day, then I don’t know what else will work!  His love is more powerful and effective than any stimulant, any exercise and any form of recreation or meditation!  Can’t you just see the actor on the 5 Hour Energy Drink commercial holding up a Bible as the source of all his energy and accomplishments instead of the bottle of the product?

Arthur S. Way in his translation of Paul’s letter to the Christians in Rome defines Romans 12:2 by saying: “Do not conform to the externalities of this world; nay, let your characters be transformed by the birth of a new life purpose, so that you may put God’s design to the test of your own experience, and so prove how kind, how gladdening, how flawless it is.”  God wants us to put His love to the test in the experiences of our daily lives!

Have you done this lately?  As I paused at one point in my study time this morning, I looked up and noticed that my screen saver had kicked in and was alternately displaying the various photos I have saved in my pictures library on my desktop computer.  Since this tends to distract me from my study, I leaned over and tapped the enter key.  I had forgotten that I had minimized my eSword Bible program and the screen returned to my desktop background picture which I had recently changed to a photograph I had taken of my wife while on a hike a few years ago in the Sierra’s near the California/Nevada border.  In the pic she is standing under the towering Pines, in a pair of jean shorts and T-shirt with her left hand on her hips and a big smile on her face.

When I looked upon the picture I also broke into a big smile and began to laugh.  As I took in the enjoyment etched on her face and remembered that hike to a distant alpine lake, I instantly felt the peace of God’s working in me.  I immediately thought of the verse in Romans 12:2, grabbed a brightly colored highlighter pen and wrote down with a new resolve in the midst of the tough situation we have been dealing with over the last few years that: “God’s design is flawless, therefore His Word is flawless, and therefore His love is flawless!”

Will I see my wife looking like that again?  Probably not… because if I understand the Word, then I will see her looking even BETTER than that!  What do I base that bold and seemingly rash statement on?  I base it on the truth of God’s Word and the personal testing of God’s love in our lives!  I have to confess… He ALWAYS has passed the test!

Do you have an area in your life where you might just need to put God’s love to the test?  My experience agrees with His Word and tells me that He will not fail you or the test!  Abandon your inhibitions, step out boldly and test to see “how kind, how gladdening and how flawless” His life purpose for you is!   Then you’ll find yourself breaking out into a big smile and enjoy a hearty laugh just as I did this morning.  Have a great day.  Stay in tune to His Word, and keep asking yourself… “What am I expecting today?”