On the day of the exam, most students are nervous, as they slither into their places in the classroom. Some have stayed up all night studying, trying to cram into a few hours what they should have learned all year. The teacher has written the exam to see what the students know, not to try to see how many he can fail, yet those taking the exam do not look forward to this day of reckoning. I have been on both ends of taking and giving tests, and I know the benefit and angst involved. As a teacher, I see the benefits more than the discomfort of the moment. I want to prove to the student the value of the material he has studied and the importance of applying it into his life.
In the Bible, the words trails, temptation, testing, and proving come from the same Greek word: peirasmos. Sometimes they are used interchangeable and at other times distinctions are made. For example, in Matthew 4:1, it says that Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. In James 1:2-3, the Bible says: “Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness.” Yet, in verse 13 it says: “Let no one say when he is tempted, I am being tempted by God, for God cannot be tempted by evil, and he himself tempts no one.” To understand the similarities and distinctions, we must look at the purpose and source.
When God tests us, or even allows us to be tempted by the devil, it is with the purpose of bringing out the best in us. The devil tempts us to bring out the worse in us, but God knows that in resisting the temptation the devil with flee from us and we will be strengthened in the power of His might. Just as the fire purifies the gold, and changes iron into steel, so do trails produce in purity and spiritual strength. After Jesus was tempted by the devil, having defeated him with the Word of God, He returned “in the power of the Spirit” to Galilee. (Luke 4:14) These temptations prepared Jesus for the greater battles He would have to face.
Trails are a part of life. How we go through them reveal what is most important to us. Our values determine our evaluations. If we value comfort more than character, then the trails we face with upset us. We will end up becoming more bitter than better. It will be hard to “count it all joy” if the present is more important than the future and the material more valued than the spiritual. God is after the gold in us. He desires that we produce an abundant harvest of fruit. With this in mind, He prunes us and removes the branches that are the “dead works”. It is with friction of the sandpaper that the rough edges are removed.
I live in a country with countless olive groves. At harvest time, the farmer begins to beat the olive trees to be able to harvest the olives. Some use more modern techniques such as vibrators to shake the trees until all the olives have fallen off. After the olives have been collected then they are put in the press to extract the desired olive oil. Olive oil is a symbol of the “anointing” in the Scriptures. The anointing doesn’t come cheap. Much pressure is needed to produce the desired result. So, rejoice on the day of the exam. The momentary irritation, (like the grain of sand in the oyster), will produce the pearl of great price. Your victory will be victory for so many others.
Scriptures to meditate on:
Matthew 4:1-17; 6:13; 18:7; 26:41; 1 Corinthians 10:13; James 1:3-14; 4:7; John 16:33