Day 83 with David: Testing from the Lord is for your benefit.

“Who keeps our soul among the living, And does not allow our feet to be moved. For You, O God, have tested us; You have refined us as silver is refined. You brought us into the net; You laid affliction on our backs. You have caused men to ride over our heads; We went through fire and through water; But You brought us out to rich fulfillment.”

‭‭Psalms‬ ‭66:9-12‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

It’s always interesting to me to see what goes on inside product test facilities. For example, in the testing of the nonstick coating on cookware, you’ll see pots lined up under mechanical “hands,” going round and round on one place with some abrasive material, until there is a failure of the coating. Not only is this done to compare one product with another, but also to determine what can be expected out of this particular product, what claims can be made about it, as well what needs to be improved.

And, how about that recliner you’re sitting in? A prototype of it was probably subjected to repeated opening and closing to see how long it takes for the mechanisms to wear out.

I would think that the most “famous” type of test facilities are crash test facilities. Here, they take different vehicles, and literally do things like run them into walls to see how they hold up.

Sometimes, tragic consequences occur when products have not been properly tested to determine their limits or their weaknesses. As a matter of fact, that’s what the whole recall system is about. Weaknesses or failures are found in actual usage rather than having been detected in product testing. Tragically, sometimes the undetected flaw has proven to be fatal.

Yes, product testing is important. We know that. We even recognize the need for thorough testing of people before embarking on something like military duty. But—when it comes to us—when it comes to the testing of our “fiber” by the Lord, we may become quickly discouraged, wondering why we must endure the tests.

It is crucial for us to realize that the testing of the Lord is not arbitrary or capricious. His testing is meant to show us where our weaknesses are so it can be corrected. The patient enduring of testing is critical to our spiritual development and wellbeing.

“For the time being no discipline brings joy, but seems sad and painful; yet to those who have been trained by it, afterwards it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness [right standing with God and a lifestyle and attitude that seeks conformity to God’s will and purpose].”

‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭12:11‬ ‭AMP‬‬

In our portion from Psalms today we see David (although David is not listed in the title as the author of this psalm, it is clearly written in the Davidic tradition and there is no reason to believe it was not written by David) commenting that the testing of the Lord is necessary and results in the refining of the ones who are tested. Additionally, in other places, we see David actually inviting the testing of the Lord, as in these examples:

“Examine me, O Lord, and prove me; Try my mind and my heart.”

‭‭Psalms‬ ‭26:2‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

“Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me, and know my anxieties; And see if there is any wicked way in me, And lead me in the way everlasting.”

‭‭Psalms‬ ‭139:23-24‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

So, nobody wants to endure testing, but it’s part of our process that is only made harder and extended when we resist and/or resent it. But, if we patiently endure testing, allowing the Holy Spirit to guide us through it, the result will be, as the psalmist put it, “rich fulfillment.”

For today let us know and understand what David knew:

Testing from the Lord is for your benefit.

#100dayswithdavid