Christian Inspiration Video Narration
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James 1 12 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 receive him. It seems that tests are a guaranteed part of the Christian faith. We can't avoid tests no matter how holy. We think we are. In fact, the Bible teaches us that if we pass those tests, if we persevere through it, then we are blessed and we will receive the crown of life. Though tests are difficult and nobody wants to go through a test. We need those tests to help us receive the crown of life. Tests are necessary in building our faith. From the beginning of time, God has desired that we should have faith in Him more than anything or anyone else. Adam and Eve struggled with this in the Garden of Eden and believed what the serpent told them over what God had instructed them. They doubted that God had a good reason when he asked them not to eat the fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. In the Bible. We read story after story of God's servants going through difficult tests. Yes. Our loving God allowed them to face hardship. But for a good reason, God always wants the best for us. And that includes when he allows tests to come our way. You see tests have a way of revealing what is truly in our hearts. And when we have passed the test, it helps to strengthen our faith. Tests are like a mirror that show us exactly who we are and what we actually value in our hearts. Tests can either make us bitter or better. Psalm 66 10 puts it like this for you. O God have tested us. You have refined us as silver is refined. Abraham was tested and asked to sacrifice his only son. Though God had a plan to provide a lamb. Abraham displayed how much faith he had. He had faith that the same God who had given him, his son, Isaac would provide the sacrifice and God did not fail. He provided a lamb. This test proved to God that Abraham valued Him more than he valued the son that he had been given. Moses was also tested several times as he led the Children of Israel out of captivity. Sadly, at some point, he failed a test and let anger get the better part of him. And God said he would not get to see the promised land. The Children of Israel also faced many challenges as they escaped from captivity, challenging them to have faith in God over and over from Pharo refusing to let them go to the test of crossing the Red Sea over and over. The Israelites were tested and many times they failed the test, but a few remnants like Joshua and Caleb passed the test and God promised them that they would see the promised land. Even Jesus Christ, the son of God was tested in the desert. After 40 days and nights of fasting, the devil tried to trick him by offering him many things. But Jesus recognized the enemy and he immediately responded to him with the word of God. As long as you are a follower of God, one thing that is guaranteed is tests. God will allow you to face different trials and tests because He wants to refine us and make us more like Him. Tests have a way of driving us to search for God. Tests, take us out of our comfort zone and make us desperate for God's guidance. Have you ever been tested? Perhaps your child is unwell or you need a financial breakthrough? Have you noticed that when you're being tested, you diligently spend time in prayer, in reading God's word. In those hard times of testing, you will never miss the weekly church service or Bible study the experiences we go through as we are being tested, have a way of building our faith and making our relationship with God even deeper. You see the truth of the matter is that this world is not our home. We are only here temporarily. The Bible says in Hebrews 9 27 as it is appointed for men to die once. But after this, the judgment, all of us will one day end up at the place of judgment. And God's desire is that we will be ready to receive the crown of life. The ultimate reason why God will allow us to go through one test and then another is to build our faith in Him. Building our faith in Him will guarantee that after this life, which is only temporary, we will spend eternity with Him beyond preparing us for eternity. However, God has a bonus blessing that comes afterwards. He also uses tests to prepare us for something better, to prepare us for a new season in our lives. Even for Abraham, we see that when he passed his test, God gave him a promise. We read in Genesis 22 that God tested Abraham by asking him to sacrifice his son, Isaac Abraham obeyed. But we also see that he had faith that God would provide a lamb and that he eventually wouldn't have to sacrifice his son. In this story. We see that Abraham's faith was affirmed when the angel of God provided a lamb for sacrifice. On top of that God blessed Abraham Genesis 22 17, I will surely bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky. And as the sand on the seashore, your descendants will take possession of the cities of their enemies and through your offspring, all nations on earth will be blessed because you have obeyed me. The most important blessing of passing the tests is eternal life. But on top of that, when we pass the test, God blesses us here on earth, a great example of a servant of God who passed this test and was blessed Here on earth is Joseph, as a young boy, God had showed him through visions and dreams that he would grow up to be something great. He however had to first go through one test after another. He was abandoned by his brothers, sold into slavery into a foreign land, accused falsely by Poti Fer's wife and thrown into prison. But Joseph stood the test of time and he eventually became the top most official in a foreign land. The tests he went through were part of his journey to greatness. The tests humbled him and proved that he was diligent at what he did, whether in the prison or in the palace. You see it is dangerous to receive blessing after blessing without tests. Why? Because the Bible also teaches us that the heart of man is desperately wicked without tests. We are likely to become proud or lazy and possibly insensitive to the needs of those around us. Tests are a constant reminder of just how feeble we are. Tests remind us that we cannot make it without God. Tests reveal to us our limitations, tests help us to focus on the things that are truly important. James puts it this way in James, one versus two and three, consider it pure joy. My brothers and sisters whenever you face trials of many kinds because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. It sounds outrageous that we are to consider it pure joy when we face trials because nobody likes tests. But once we understand the reason for the test and the outcome, we will count at pure joy. The outcome is that we mature and are made complete. What an interesting outcome. Tests are not here to frustrate us or to make us feel stuck. We are actually incomplete without tests. You see God's ways are not our ways, his thoughts, not our thoughts. When we hear the mention of tests, we want to run away in the opposite direction. But in this verse, the word of God is admonishing us to embrace tests and even more to be happy about them. You see, tests will mold us into the kind of person that we need to be. Once they mold us, then God is able to trust us with blessings because He has tested us and he knows we have built the muscle or the capacity to handle the blessing tests, ensure that we don't value the blessing more than we value God or more than we value the things that matter to God. Tests have a way of humbling you so much so that if God chooses to make you the owner of a successful business enterprise, you will know how to manage things like pride. You will remember to help the unfortunate around you because you will have a history of where God has brought you from. You will remain grounded in Him. There is nothing as beautiful as watching a successful person remain humble and serve God with what they have. God knows that things of this world can destroy us. So he uses tests to mold us into the perfect vessel and prepare us to better handle those blessings. So if you're going through a difficult patch in your life, it's time to also get excited because it means that God is preparing you for something better in your life. It's easier said than done. But as long as you have this truth in your heart, it will be easier to bear the difficult times. If you keep your eyes on the prize, the tests will be more bearable. We have the guarantee that God is the one in charge of our lives and that if He allows a test in our lives, he will help us to overcome. And Jesus was a perfect example for us. We read in Hebrews 12 2, fixing our eyes on Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of our faith for the joy set before him. He endured the cross scorning at shame and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. All we need to do is fix our eyes on Jesus. Remember that something better awaits us on the other side of the test and we will come out victorious.