J.A. Matteson
(Devotional)
The LORD tests His people through providences to reveal the nature of their faith. "Because I saw that the people were scattering from me, and that you did not come within the appointed days, and that the Philestines were assembling...." (1 Samuel 13:11). Saul walked by sight and not by faith. He employed situational ethics where the means justified the ends. Note that he assessed reality by what he saw (three times) rather than perceiving the reality of a divine test unfolding before him. He failed the test. Beware of providences that entice you to trust in yourself and not God, you are being tested. The LORD is seeking to know if you will come to Him or bypass His counsel to establish your own providences. Resist the temptation to judge reality by what you see. Rather, confirm Gods activity in your providences by inquiring of Him so that you might pass the test.
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