It's Testing Time

W

hile living in Europe, I grew accustomed to the tradition of drinking hot tea.  You must understand that growing up in the southeastern United States meant the only form of tea with which I was familiar was iced tea.  In addition to being iced, it was also very sweet.  I still love to drink my tea this way but I do enjoy brewing a nice hot cup of tea in the evenings.  It just seems to make reading a good book or listening to good music better, not to mention what it does for shortbread cookies!

Now the requirements for making hot tea are very few. The only items you need are a kettle, some water, a cup, and a tea bag.  Taken by themselves, they are just ordinary items, but when they are combined, the result is very satisfying.  Yet, before you can enjoy that cup of tea a few things have to happen.  The water must be placed into the kettle and brought to the boiling point.  Then, tea bag must be placed into the hot water and allowed to steep.  Only by placing the tea into the boiling water, and only after leaving it there for a period of time, is it possible to produce a good, hot beverage pleasing to both body and soul.

The Christian life is just like this!  The tea bag represents the Christian life, and the hot water represents the trials and tests that occur along life’s road.  In order for God to draw out of us those qualities that glorify him, he sometimes has to put us into "hot water."  Trials and conflicts are part of life and the Christian is not exempt from this truth.  Christ promised to be with us in trials, not to keep us from them.  It is in the difficulty times of life that our true character is revealed and true spiritual growth takes place.  Just like a tea bag which must steep in hot water in order to release its goodness, so is it necessary sometimes for God to place us into difficulty and leave us there.  He does not abandon us, but allows us to steep so that we may bring honor and glory to him and reach others for Jesus Christ.

No one understood more than Job the idea of being left in the midst of trial.  He was consigned to extremely difficult circumstances.  Yet, by obeying God and submitting to his will, Job proved to be an example for us all.  Although he didn't understand why God had permitted this testing, he saw it as coming from God and knew it had a purpose.  In Job 23:10 we read, "But He knows the way that I take; When He has tested me, I shall come forth as gold."  Rest assured, wherever you are and whatever your circumstances today, your Heavenly Father is aware of them.  He knows your trials and he trusts you with them.  You will not stay in "hot water" a minute longer than is necessary to make you what he wants you to be.  You have his word on it!