The enemy has a plan for your life: to steal, kill, and destroy.

God calls us to “be alert and of sober mind,” watching out for the schemes of the devil who “prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour” (1 Peter 5:8). The devil wants to devour our lives, keeping us from the joy of living in a relationship with Jesus. 

Six Things the Devil Wants for Your Life

1. For you to doubt God

In John 20, the disciples shouted that they had seen Jesus raised from the grave, but Thomas’ doubt kept him from believing in the miracle of salvation. Jesus appeared to Thomas and said, “Stop doubting and believe” (John 20:27).

When the devil tempts you to doubt God, don’t let your circumstance determine your God; let your God determine your circumstance.

2. For you to live in fear

Fear is not the absence of faith, it is the misplacement of it. The devil doesn’t want to rob us of our faith, he wants our faith to be in anything but God. Life in Christ is life not in fear!

Psalm 34:4 says, “I sought the Lord, and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears.”

3. For you to feel insecure

Don’t let the devil tell you that you are unloved or not good enough! You are God’s handiwork and, in Christ, we are not only good enough, “we are more than conquerors through him who loved us” (Ephesians 2:10, Romans 8:37).

4. For you to avoid the church

The more uninvolved you become with the body of Christ, the harder it is to persevere in your faith. It isn’t easy to follow Jesus in a world that doesn’t. When we leave the community we were made for, we are destined to be devoured (1 Corinthians 12).

5. For you to be led astray

“Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves” (Matthew 7:15). When we rely on the words of men or ourselves in place of God’s Word, we can lead others away from Jesus and be led away from His truth ourselves.

6. For you to fail

The devil wants to destroy us. He wants us to settle for what the world has given us and accept our lots. 2 Corinthians 4:8-10 says, “We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body.”  When you feel like you’re going to lose, take heart, Jesus already won for you!

Don’t want to be devoured? “Stop doubting and believe” (John 20:27).

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Have you ever experienced that even after trying so hard, things still did not go the way you planned? Maybe God has something better in mind for you, and He is in the process of testing and molding your character.

Or, probably, you are encountering problems, and God seems not to hear you call. Yet, the Lord indeed hears your prayers. If why He does not seem to answer now, it could be that He wants you to learn to extend your faith and patience. In short, again, He is testing you.

So, let us talk more about the signs that God is testing you.

1. Hopelessness

Have you reached that one point in life when you felt hopeless or lost? Or do you keep asking yourself things like your reason for existence or why you are still alive? Maybe, such a situation is a sign from God that He is waiting for you to call His name and surrender your whole life to Him.

2. Failure to achieve goals

Probably, you did everything you could to reach your dreams, and you tried so hard to achieve your goals. However, things did not work the way you planned. God is maybe saving you from future harm, and now He wants you to trust His plans more.

No matter how many times you try to reach your goal, you will not achieve it, if it is not God’s will. Remember, God would know if your plans would be bad for you. Have faith that He has something better in store for you. To get it, you must surrender your plans to Him and let Him guide you. All you need to do is hear His call and follow His plans.

3. Financial problem

This is one of the most common signs that God is testing you. So many people forget about God when they have everything they need. They become blinded by money, and some even make it the main priority in their lives. They forget that God is their ultimate provider, and all the good things they have are blessings from Him.

Therefore, if you are struggling financially, God is maybe teaching you to trust Him. He wants you to learn to rely on Him for your daily needs. Matthew 6:11 says, “Give us this day our daily bread,” This passage is part of the prayer that Jesus taught His disciples. He encouraged them to pray for provision for their needs in a daily manner.

4. Heartbreak

One of the most painful challenges that you can go through is heartbreak. Some people even go to the extent of destroying or ending their lives when they lose their loved ones. However, people who love God get strength from Him through faith.

So, why would God allow your heart to be broken? Maybe He is teaching you to love unconditionally. Or maybe He is only saving you from a bad relationship. It could also be possible that He wants to test your faithfulness to Him by taking away someone you value so much. But, then, once you have proven that you will still honor Him despite the pain, He might give you back the person or even send someone better.

5. Health issue

Yes, God may use your health to test your faith. For example, if your body becomes weak with a disease, would you still trust His ways? Or you could have found out that you are terminally ill, and now you are afraid of dying. Would you be mad at Him because He allows this thing to happen to you?

Always remember that God can heal you miraculously if He wants to. So, while doing your best to improve your condition, have faith that He can heal you anytime if it can bring Him glory. If He does not, just continue to trust Him. Maybe, He is teaching you to value your time on earth and your loved ones. Or maybe He simply wants you to increase your faith. Meanwhile, if He does not heal you at all, just be grateful for your life and make the most of it. Then, change your perspective about death, and think of it positively—that soon, you will be joining God in His kingdom.

6. Patience Test

God often tests the patience of His children too. You have probably been praying for something for a long time, and nothing seems to happen yet. Or you are maybe holding on to God’s promise about something, and you wonder when it will be fulfilled. Or probably, until now, you are waiting for your life’s breakthrough, or you want to know your calling.

Sometimes, God will let you wait not because He is late but because His timetable is better than yours. Also, sometimes He delays the answers to your prayers because you are not yet ready to receive them. In the process of waiting, He is molding your character and increasing your faith. Therefore, do not give up on your hope immediately. Trust God’s perfect timing and His wisdom in how He orchestrates the circumstances around you.

7. Obedience

Yes, you read it right. God will test your obedience just like what he did to Abraham (Genesis 22:1-19). He asked him to kill and sacrifice his only son, Isaac. In the end, Abraham proved his obedience, and God saved Isaac. From there, God established His covenant with Abraham and his lineage.

Maybe God will not use the same test, but He will test your obedience in some other things. For instance, He can test your obedience in terms of integrity or commitment. Or He will allow you to be exposed to your weaknesses to help you overcome your temptations. Or, like Abraham, God may ask you to give up someone or something you love. If you truly trust God, you will choose to obey Him, knowing that He could only be testing your commitment to Him

8. Family problem

Yes, it is normal to have problems in the family, but does it feel too much sometimes? God knows that your family is both your strength and weakness. Therefore, sometimes He allows your family to experience challenges to get your attention and increase your faith in Him.

So, if you are in pain because of a family feud or trial, God is maybe reminding you to pray harder. Also, He probably wants to strengthen your family more by loving each other unconditionally and selflessly.

You Will Overcome

These are only some of the signs that God is testing you. If you encounter a life-changing situation, take it as an opportunity to draw closer to God and improve your character. And just a simple reminder, if you choose to resolve issues through God’s way rather than your own, you have an assurance that God is with you along the way.

Always instill in your heart and mind that obedience and faithfulness are the keys to living in God’s will. Follow Him with all your heart, mind, and soul, and you will see how wonderful His plan for your life is.

WHEN  YOU 
ARE BEING 
TESTED BY  GOD

July 30, 2022

Have you ever noticed that God will often test us in the areas we’re strongest?

“Satan tempts us in our weakest points to bring out the worst in us, but God tests us in our strongest points to bring out the best in us.”

Why Does God Test Us?

God tests us because he loves us dearly and wants us to grow in grace and in the knowledge of him. This is why the Bible tells us we can rejoice when being tested.

Some time later God tested Abraham. He said to him, “Abraham!” “Here I am,” he replied. [2] Then God said, “Take your son, your only son, whom you love—Isaac—and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on a mountain I will show you. ”

Genesis 22:1-2 NIV

God will test us just as he tested Abraham. This is a clear and simple truth. I don’t personally like it and can make a case that it isn’t fair, but none of this will change the fact that God tests us. You might not like it and might be able to make a different case for the unjust nature of his testing, but again, this will not change the fact that God tests us.

God knows that after we’ve been through tests, we’ll learn to rely on Him and to more promptly go to His throne of grace where “we will find grace to help us when we need it most” (Hebrews 4:16 NLT).

In time of trials, times when I don’t understand what is going on with me, I tell God “Lord I do not understand this season and what you are doing with me but I leave everything in your hands”. because If I rely on my strengths within myself, I’ll fail every time, but if I rely on His strength (which is strengthening my strengths), I’ll be able to withstand the test and bring Him glory.

Romans 5:2-5 (ESV) says
“Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.”

James 1:2-4 (ESV) 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. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.”

Abraham’s strongest point was his faith, and that is exactly where the Lord tested him. If Abraham, Moses, and Peter (just to name a few) had to learn to rely on God’s grace instead of their own strength, then we definitely do too.

Life without Christ is lifeless, a life without Him is living in darkness, imagine walking in the dark without the ray of light. What do you think will happen? You don’t know where you are heading it means you can stumble and fall. That is how life without Christ is… they lack guidance and direction to the things of life.

Without Jesus, there is no purpose in life. Every reason our world produces for our existence comes up empty in the end. Without the light of Jesus, we would be forced to stumble our way through life, tripping over trials and problems. As we stumble we would always have the terrifying understanding that death could be right around the corner.

Jesus is the Light that illuminates our lives. He gives us hope and purpose. He came to remove the darkness of sin by shedding his blood and scatter the shadow of death by rising from the grave. Since our sins have been paid for by his blood, we have the sure confidence that every single one of our sins has been removed—even the ones that weigh us down with the most guilt. Since he rose from the grave we have the rock-solid guarantee that death is not the end for us. By faith in him, we too will rise with him to live eternally.

Is Jesus your “personal” Savior?

Many people view Christianity as attending church, performing rituals, and/or not committing certain sins. That is not Christianity. True Christianity is a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Accepting Jesus as your personal Savior means placing your own personal faith and trust in Him. No one is saved by the faith of others. No one is forgiven by doing certain deeds. The only way to be saved is to personally accept Jesus as your Savior, trusting in His death as the payment for your sins and His resurrection as your guarantee of eternal life (John 3:16). Is Jesus personally your Savior?

If you want to accept Jesus Christ as your personal Savior, say the following words to God. Remember, saying this prayer or any other prayer will not save you. Only believing in Jesus Christ and His finished work on the cross for you can save you from sin. This prayer is simply a way to express to God your faith in Him and thank Him for providing for your salvation.

God, I know that I have sinned against You and deserve punishment. But I believe Jesus Christ took the punishment I deserve so that through faith in Him I could be forgiven. I receive Your offer of forgiveness and place my trust in You for salvation. I accept Jesus as my personal Savior! Thank You for Your wonderful grace and forgiveness—the gift of eternal life! Amen

The life of a person in the light is transformed. You will start to experience a change in the way you view life, you will see clearly, understand with your mind the truth about what life is about

When you live your life in darkness, you are simply a slave to the world, your life can never be meaningful. You won’t be able to find out what is around you, the meaning of life and who you are, your true purpose in life and everything else you can think of.

Life in the light is filled with the fruit of the spirit which is God’s goodness, righteousness, and truth. (Ephesians 5:9)

Light is beautiful and mysterious—like God. It is one but can be separated into many colors. No one knows if light is made up of particles or waves. In addition light has many functions that makes it a good symbol for Jesus. Light helps us see things. Jesus gives us the truth about God and about life, our origin, and our destiny. Light guides us as we travel. Jesus guides us safely through life to our heavenly home. Light promotes growth and life. Jesus brings us everlasting life. Light warms and comforts. Jesus welcomes us and calms us. Light prevents crime. Jesus is goodness itself. Light dispels darkness, which stands for evil. Jesus pierces the darkness of sin and death and conquers them. All the darkness in the world cannot put out one candle flame. Jesus cannot be overcome by evil.