One of the most common nightmares is one I have had frequently. I am back in college and arrive at class, only to discover it is time to take the final exam, but I forgot to study for it. Those who study dreams say that it reveals feeling pressured and unprepared in some situation in our lives. I don’t put stock in what scientists have to say about dreams, as in the Bible, without God’s help Daniel would have failed miserably, along with the “experts” in King Nebuchadnezzar’s court. Yet that dream does remind me of the pressures of those exams, when success and failure was measured in the moment of signing your name and turning in the last paper.
More important than any final exam in school are the day-by-day tests that God places us in. The word for trial in Greek is peirasmo, which is the state of being tested, often by suffering. Interestingly, it is the same word for temptation, which is a trial with a beneficial purpose. Even Jesus had to endure those trials and temptations when He walked as a man on this earth. Immediately after being baptized, Jesus fasted for 40 days and nights and then battled Satan’s frontal assaults. Described by Matthew, Mark and Luke, we see that Satan offered Jesus the world. Jesus didn’t question Satan’s ability to give the world to Jesus, as He knew that Satan had dominion over the earth. Yet Jesus remained sin-free and thwarted Satan with His knowledge of the Word of God. Satan misquoted or misinterpreted God’s Word in his arguments to Jesus. This should remind us that while Satan is powerful, he is not ALL POWERFUL! He has spent thousands of years practicing his art of deceit. While he can pack quite a punch in his dealings with us as believers, he cannot battle the power of God. The power of God is available to us through the Bible, with God dwelling inside of every believer! How can we battle Satan without knowing what the Word says? This brings us to another powerful promise from our Lord:
13 No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.
1 Corinthians 10:13
Breaking this verse down, the first part that we see is that we all stumble in the same ways. Secondly, we see that though we aren’t faithful, God is! Thirdly, He only allows hurdles in our paths that we are able to jump over. Do you find yourself with a huge hurdle in front of you? God has at least two messages for you. As difficult as the task at hand may be, God is telling you that you are stronger. What a compliment! Remember, Satan brings the battle, but God allows Satan to bring the battle. So if Satan’s attack is strong, he must hate you a lot. The more you love the Lord, the bigger target will be on your head from Satan. It may be difficult, but we should remember who is in charge of our lives! Through every trial, God is testing us, and just as silver is purified and made stronger under intense heat, God is drawing us closer.
I will bring the one-third through the fire,
Will refine them as silver is refined,
And test them as gold is tested.
They will call on My name,
And I will answer them.
I will say, ‘This is My people’;
And each one will say, ‘The LORD is my God.’ ”
Zechariah 13:9
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