God can Test us in Several Ways

Pastor Saroja's Message

Genesis 8:1 “And God remembered Noah, and every living thing, and all the cattle that was with him in the ark: and God made a wind to pass over the earth, and the waters assuaged”. After God shut Noah, his family and every living thing, all cattle into the Ark, he sent rain 7 days later. Genesis 7:4 “For yet seven days, and I will cause it to rain upon the earth forty days and forty nights; and every living substance that I have made will I destroy from off the face of the earth”. It rained continuously for 40 days and 40 nights Genesis 7:12, 24 “And the rain was upon the earth forty days and forty nights. 24And the waters prevailed upon the earth an hundred and fifty days”. Once the rain stopped, the Ark floated on the flooded earth for 150 days. In the meanwhile, God did not communicate with Noah or appeared to him for 150 days. Before Noah was shut in the Ark, God spoke to him daily, counseled him on preparing the Ark and prepared him for the floods. But, for 190 days God did not talk to Noah, this was a testing time for him. God tested his heart during the time he was shut in the Ark. But after 190 days God remembered Noah and every living thing that was with him in the Ark. God, for the first time made wind to pass over this earth and dried up the flood waters. We must remember, that God is always with us through our trying times in life.

Genesis 30:22 “And God remembered Rachel, and God hearkened to her, and opened her womb.” Jacob loved his wife Rachel very much. But, God had closed her womb for several years, before He finally heard her prayers and opened her womb. Like Noah, Rachel was also tested by the Lord for all those years that she was barren. Yes, God has a right to test each one of us too. Remember, God spoke to Noah day and night when building the Ark, he counseled him with every minute detail when about the Ark. But once God shut the Ark, He did not communicate with Noah for totally 190 days. Finally, God delivered Noah from the ark. Here in this passage we see how God shut Rachel’s womb for several years, he tested her and then finally answered her prayers and opened her womb. Similarly God can test us in several ways. Our pain and sorrows are known to him, our grumbling is also known to him.

The Israelites were in bondage for 400 years, but God remembered the promise He gave Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. He also heard their crying and thus delivered them from bondage. Exodus 2:24-25 “And God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob. And God looked upon the children of Israel, and God had respect unto them.” God did not forget the Israelites, but when they remembered God, repented and cried out to Him. God sent them a deliverer. Remember, God is watching over us and he knows our ways and grumblings. Daniel 2:22 “ He revealeth the deep and secret things: he knoweth what is in the darkness, and the light dwelleth with him.” God loves his people, he blesses them with wisdom and knowledge Genesis 40:8 “8And they said unto him, We have dreamed a dream, and there is no interpreter of it. And Joseph said unto them, Do not interpretations belong to God? tell me them, I pray you.” We see God spoke to the Pharaoh’s people in dreams but God gave the Israelites wisdom and knowledge to interpret dreams.

Exodus 10:13 “13And Moses stretched forth his rod over the land of Egypt, and the LORD brought an east wind upon the land all that day, and all that night; and when it was morning, the east wind brought the locusts.” We have seen that fire was also one of the medium of sign of God speaking to His people. In the various biblical scriptures we have read that fire was one of the signs of God speaking to His children. Solomon’s temple was filled with smoke, when God’s presence filled the temple and He spoke to His people.

In yesterday’s message, we have seen the importance of fire. There are two types of fire viz.. Earthly fire and Heavenly fire. The heavenly fire destroys the earthly fire. The heavenly fire comes from above while the earthly fire is lit on this earth. When the heavenly fire falls on us, we get cleansed and purified we get a new lease of life, while the earthly fire destroys/devours us completely.

Today, we will see God’s presence in form/sign of Wind. Genesis 8:1 “And God remembered Noah, and every living thing, and all the cattle that was with him in the ark: and God made a wind to pass over the earth, and the waters assuaged”. In this passage we have seen how God dries up the flood with the wind, then delivers Noah, his family and all the living creatures from the Ark. Now, we will see how the wind brings locusts to destroy the crops in the land of Egypt. When Moses lifted his rod, it brought strong winds with locusts along for destruction. Psalm 148:8 ‘8Fire, and hail; snow, and vapors; stormy wind fulfilling his word”. In this passage we see how the fire, hail, snow, vapors, and wind obeys God’s command. Proverbs 30:27 “ The locusts have no king, yet go they forth all of them by bands”. When we look to the Lord and obey His every command, He will always help and deliver us out of all our troubles. We must never rebel against Lord. When we live in accordance with Lord’s command, He will always lift us up. Noah thought God had forgotten him, but No God never forgets his children, especially when we are in trouble. In this passage we see how the locusts who have no king, also obeys the King of Kings..our Lord God.

Pharaoh did not allow the Israelites to worship God, he rebelled against God and troubled and tortured God’s children. He challenged the Israelites to worship God, then he threatened to destroy them. But God is gracious and heard His children’s cry and send them a deliverer. Similarly, we must remember when locusts comes in our lives, it destroys everything in our life. Locust is nothing but the evil one. Hence, repentance is the only way out in our life, to get God’s mercy and deliverance. We must cry and repent before God, only then He will be gracious to forgive us and lift us up once again.

When we stay focused on GOD, He will surely remember us in every situation of our lives and deliver us. In Psalm 91:1-16 we see God’s love for us “1He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust. Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence. He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler. Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day. Nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness; nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday. A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee. Only with thine eyes shalt thou behold and see the reward of the wicked. Because thou hast made the LORD, which is my refuge, even the most High, thy habitation. There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling. For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways. They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone. Thou shalt tread upon the lion and adder: the young lion and the dragon shalt thou trample under feet. Because he hath set his love upon me, therefore will I deliver him: I will set him on high, because he hath known my name. He shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honour him. With long life will I satisfy him, and shew him my salvation.”

Revelation 9:1-3, “1And the fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star fall from heaven unto the earth: and to him was given the key of the bottomless pit. And he opened the bottomless pit; and there arose a smoke out of the pit, as the smoke of a great furnace; and the sun and the air were darkened by reason of the smoke of the pit. And there came out of the smoke locusts upon the earth: and unto them was given power, as the scorpions of the earth have power.” End times when God will send judgement on this earth, we know that out of the bottomless pit will emit smoke and with that will come locusts once again upon this earth and they will be given all power as the scorpions of the earth. Revelation 9:6 “6And in those days shall men seek death, and shall not find it; and shall desire to die, and death shall flee from them.” Yes, men will seek death, but death will evade men and their suffering will continue eternally. End time is time of Anti-Christ, he will be dreadful. We can imagine, how the locusts will cover this earth and cause pain and sorrow in this world. But God’s children must remember, when God’s shadow is upon us we will not be moved. We are created by Him, He loves us very much and thus will help us overcome difficult times in this world.

Today, if God has delayed anything in our life, it is because he is testing us, watching our hearts, our grumbling. He will send judgement upon us. As we see, from the bottomless pit, came out of the smoke locusts upon the earth: and unto them was given power, as the scorpions of the earth have power. Even death will flee from men. Exodus 10:19 “ 19And the LORD turned a mighty strong west wind, which took away the locusts, and cast them into the Red sea; there remained not one locust in all the coasts of Egypt”. But in this passage, we see that when we are obedient to corrections and repent for our sins, God will stop the winds of destruction and blow the wind of grace upon us and shower us with loads of blessings. Joel 2:25 “25And I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten, the cankerworm, and the caterpiller, and the palmerworm, my great army which I sent among you.” When we have hurt God in different ways, our repentance alone can bring back everything lost in our lives. Everything/Everyone in our lives will be saved by God, remember its through our testing times that we will be strengthened. He can restore all that is lost in our lives. To summarize, we see how God remembered Noah after 190 days, in the meanwhile He was testing him. We see Rachel’s story, she earnestly prayed for a child, God heard her prayers and opened her womb after many years because it was He who had blocked it. The Israelites suffered for 400 years, but when they truly repented and changed their hearts, God remembered the promise given to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and sent them a deliverer. We also see when God sent locusts to destroy the land of Egypt, its their repentance that saved them. Today, let us commit our lives once again into God’s hands and be delivered. Let’s repent ask God to send upon us the Winds of Grace rather than let the Winds of Destruction ruin us. May this message bring blessing in our lives.

- Pastor Saroja M.