God tries our hearts
….but God, which tries our hearts (1TH.2:4)
When God tries us, it’s a good thing and needful. Our flesh recoils at the thought of being tried, but never the less it works in us what God plans for our good.
Some biblical examples are as follows:
Hezekiah was tried, “God left him, to try him, that he might know all that was in his heart”. (2Chr.32:31)
And we can never forget the, “forty years in the wilderness”. “And you shall remember that the Lord your God led you all the way these forty years in the wilderness, to humble you and test you, to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep His commandments or not”. (Deut.8:2)
I believe one of the main reasons that God tries us, is so we can know what’s in our own heart. Without the refining, the dross will not come out. And yes, it takes heat to refine. We don’t enjoy the process, but if we will endure (by God’s grace) it brings forth the dross to the surface. This dross could be all kinds of stuff, sin, selfishness, pride etc.etc.
We usually don’t know what’s buried down in our hearts, until it surfaces through the trials that God allows us to go through.
In the two scriptures quoted above, we see besides, “knowing what is in our heart”, we also see that this trying of our hearts has some other good benefits such as, “to humble you”. If pride is in our heart, God in his love, will allow some things to happen in our life that will empty us of pride.
When we are tried, all the stuff begins to show up and come out, whether we want it to or not. His word says, regarding the heart, “out of it are the issues of life”. (Prov.4:23)
We don’t completely know the issues of our own heart, until He tries us.
How many of us have been tried, and all of a sudden we do or say something that shocks even us? We say to ourselves, “Wow! I didn’t even know that I could do or say that, I’m sorry.
It’s because, once again we don’t even know what’s in our own hearts.
It’s a good thing, this side of eternity to have God try our own heart to see if their be any sinful or wicked way within us that we may not be aware of. We should all pray the prayer of the Psalmist, “Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: and see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting”. (Psa.139:23-24)
Amen
January 26, 2007 at 12:13 pm
Oh yes, the wonderful fires of refinement and purification. I really do not like this part of the process, yet,I have come to so appreciate it, from a rear view mirror perspective, anyway.
Blessings in Christ Jesus!
January 28, 2007 at 12:12 am
Amen Phil,
We all go through it. He knows how much we can handle. We are all on different levels, so to speak. He truly knows our heart, inside and out.
To God be the glory !
Grace to you,
Richard
February 3, 2007 at 7:40 am
Richard, you are truly “salt of the earth”. You always have such a special way of making a hard point come out easy to understand. I literally sat up straight in my chair when I began to read this post.
I also wrote the Deut.8:12 scripture ref on my hand so I would remember to memorize it in the morning.
It is a shock to me everytime our Lord allows me to see what is really in my heart. Everytime. You are a teacher. Much love, please keep writing as our Father leads. Much Love.
February 3, 2007 at 7:03 pm
Thank you, Sandi
Yes, it’s not easy talking about the “hard points”, preaching them, sharing them etc. But I have found that God’s grace is sufficient to do it as He leads.
I agree, it is a real shocker when He shows us from time to time what is in our hearts.
Thank you for your prayers,
Richard