Passing the tests

If you ask me wheter I like to take tests or not my answer will be "yes, I do like to take tests" I don't know why but I just loved to study and I loved being a college student. To me, I can measure my knowledge on how much I've learned through taking tests. However, I did not like it when God gives me tests. I Hated it more than anything. But it was when I didn't really know the purpose of it, the reasons why God gave me tests.

In January 2012, God gave me the hardest test in my life. That was when I had to make the biggest decision, and that was when God tested my faith. At that time I just graduated from college and I had all my plans lined up, but not a single one worked out. I began to get so depressed, frustrated, worried..I felt like my world just turned up side down. I prayed and prayed and asking God what should I do? should I do this or should I do that? but God seemed silent. I didn't feel any peace, I felt so lost and I honestly thought that God has abandoned me. Until one day, I went to church and God spoke to me through a guy named John Maxwell, through his message he said "If you have a problem, you are a candidate for a miracle from God, all miracles in the bible began with problems " the moment I heard that message I knew that God loves me so much that He wants to show me how big He is and He wants to show me that miracles will happen through my problems. God wants to show me that I can always count on Him and that through my problems I can see His glory shine in my life. Since then my thoughts began to change, now I understand...how can I see the good if I never experience the bad? How do I know my ability to endure pains if I never experience any pain? God was really testing my faith by remained silent. Just like when you are taking a test at school, your teacher will be silent while you are taking the test, but that does not mean that your teacher is not there watching you. That is the way God is when He gives us a test, just because He seems silent that does not mean that He is not there. He wants to know if we truly believe that He is still there even when I cannot feel Him or "hear" Him anymore. During that time, I felt like Faith was all I have and I have to walk by faith and not by sight. There is a quote that says "Faith is taking the first step even when you don't see the whole staircase". James 1:3- for you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. When you are facing a test that God gives you, find out the purpose of it, and you will know how to pass it. For example: when everyone around you is getting so annoying maybe this is the way God test your ability to forgive, to overcome evil with good. The more you understand the purpose of the test the faster you will pass the test. Stay strong! your test will become your test-imony, your mess will become your mess-age (Max Lucado)

After I passed the test that God gave me, I can feel that my faith has grown stronger than ever. Everytime God gives me a test; I try to understand the purpose and keep asking God to bring things to light so I can see the purpose behind it. Remember! just because God seems silent that does not mean that He is not there and that does not mean that He can't hear you. Everytime you pass a test, your faith and your relationship with God will rise up to a higher level.

Seeking + Obeying God = Fearless

Fear is my biggest enemy, I feel so intimidated by just about everything especially my future. But I just found out that if you are afraid of your future, that simply means that you do not have faith in God. I like to plan things and when something happens and it is not consistent with my plans; I started to fear. The truth is God is the one who has the authority to plan my life and He is the only one who can change it. In other words, yes you have the permission to plan your life but you do not have the permission to depend on it and there is no need to be dissapointed when your plans start to change because when God changes your plans that means that He is re-directing you. God knows exactly where you will be 10 years from now, you don't have to worry about tomorrow because God is there and He will be there when tomorrow comes. The question is what do I have to do while I am in the process of walking toward my future? what do I have to do to overcome my fear about my future? the answer is SEEK GOD & OBEY HIM. These 2 things cannot be separated. Seek God means that you always spend time with God, He has to be the priority in your life (Matthew 6:33). Pray..pray..pray..and pray! To me personally, I can only feel so close to God when I pray, just reading my bible is not enough, I have to pray, then I can hear God's voice and feel His presence. Prayer is also important in order for you to take your stand against your enemy the one who gives you fear ( Ephesians 6:10-11, 18). To Obey God means that you have to be discipline, you must obey His rules. Walk away from things that will make you feel guilty or dirty. Remember! Seek and Obey cannot be separated. Think about it...how can you seek God yet you do things that are unholy, or how can you obey God but you don't seek Him. For example: you pray and read your bible yet you mess around with your boyfriend or girlfriend, using drugs, get drunk, and all that. Or you do all the right things but you don't even have time to pray, to read your bible, God is not your priority but something else is maybe your job, your partner, or your education. Both of these have to walk together because they complete each other. From my experience, when I seek God and obey Him; I feel so peaceful and this are the keys to overcome my fears, simply by just seek God and Obey Him. When you do these 2 things correctly you are living in righteousness. Believe me or not, when you are walking in the middle of the storm, you will feel safe and peaceful because you know that you are walking and live in righteousness it is 100% guarantee that God will fight for you. You do not have to worry when life doesn't go the way you planned because God wants you to see that you deserve more something bigger that you can imagine. Have faith in God's ability (1 John 5:14-15) and live in righteousness . If you do these, you can get ready to say goodbye to fear and welcoming peacefulness.