“Blessed is a man who perseveres under trial; for once he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.” NASB Ja1.12
The same Greek word can be translated, “trial,” or “temptation,” depending on the context. God is said to test but never tempt. The difference between these two lies with their design and intent. When God is testing us, His design is to develop our faith. When Satan tempts us, his intentions are to destroy us. Now, the very same temptation which the devil has devised to destroy, God will use to develop and mature us. Consider Joseph’s response to his brothers who had sold him with evil intent to the Ishmaelites. "As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good…. “
God is wonderfully able to take rocks hurled by our enemies and use them as stepping stones to bring us to His desired blessing. Now, we stand between the Lord’s test and Satan’s temptation. Jesus told us to pray that God would not hand us over to temptation but deliver us from evil. The imagery pictured here, is one being dragged from danger. Now God can certainly do this. He can forcefully keep us from fulfilling our sinful desires but He would rather that we look to Him and persevere through them. A father may intervene when he sees his daughter about to tumble, after hitting a bump with her bike. He would rather that she uses the skills he has taught her to keep from falling. Here, at lease, is one of the reasons for the test. When God restores us, in Christ, to a real freedom of choice, He gives us the power to make the right one. The test then, is that we train ourselves to use that power, to overcome temptation and to incline our hearts to obey Him. Father wants, after all, our willful obedience, not a forced compliance. He tells us, “Do not be as the horse or as the mule which has no understanding, whose trappings include bit and bridle to hold them in check, otherwise they will not come near to you.” Ps32.9 3/23/07 ts
Just me trying to be honest with God.
