In this episode, we learn that Yah tests everyone in order that they might be conditioned for use in his service.
Be sure to download the companion journal for this video from the link below:
My 12-Week Journal
Week 05#: Life’s Testing Ground
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Regardless of how you view your life—or irrespective of the metaphor you use to frame it—this life, as illustrated in Scripture, is a testing ground. But its tests are specific to Yah’s plan for us. Some may view life as a series of tests, but not from a Scriptural standpoint. Others might see it as a playground (usually the view of those with vast amounts of disposable income) or a game to be played for a lark. Regardless of how you picture this life, and whether you take it seriously or not, know that it is your testing ground. Its tests, however, are aimed at a certain outcome.
In week 1 of this series, I mentioned that anything you buy online or at a store comes with an instruction manual, or requires some kind of usage guide if you are not familiar with its function. Well, all of those items had to be designed upon being invented, and following their initial production, they had to be tested. Anytime you buy a new car, the odometer registers a small number of miles. These were accumulated on the test track. Chefs, in creating new dishes or menus, work things out in a test kitchen. Laptop lids are opened and closed thousands of times to gauge component wear. Gadgets, devices, shipping methods, food, you name it, all these things are tested prior to entering the marketplace, or what is considered “the real world.” Know that this is straight out of Yah’s playbook.
Everyone is tested by Yah. We read of various tests our ancestors faced, from the Garden of Eden, to the missionary efforts of the emissaries. Adam and Eve were tested in a way that appears very simplistic and rudimentary to most people. Some will even say that if it were them, they would never have picked fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. But since the first few chapters of Genesis are concerned with beginnings, including the very start of Creation itself, things will not look complex. Complexities develop over time, as new elements are introduced to life’s equation.
You can see complexities spring up in the Genesis narrative as you move through its various chapters. When compared to our day, with all its technological advancement, sophisticated economies, scholastic institutions, and the like, life has been complicated far beyond what we see in the Garden of Eden, yet many do not realize that each and every day they are given the very same choice Adam of Eve were given. Every day, you are to choose between the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, but you probably don’t recognize the test because it has been layered in complexity. A wise proverb describes the tree of life as it exists in our lives today:
“The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, and whoever captures souls is wise.”
—Proverbs 11:30
The fruit of the righteous, that is the evidence that one has chosen the tree of life. Another proverb elaborates on this tree.
“In the path of righteousness is life, and in its pathway there is no death.”
—Proverbs 12:28
Paths are chosen by travelers. And the path of righteousness is determined by a conscious choice as we move through life on a daily basis. And righteousness is spelled out in Scripture. In Ezekiel 18:5 – 9, Yah says that a man (or woman) is righteous by doing what is just and right. He or she does not set their eyes upon idols, or commit lustful acts; they don’t defraud anyone, or steal; they feed the hungry and do not profit at the expense of others; and he or she obeys Yah’s rules and walks in his statutes. These are therefore not lawless individuals. That is righteousness in Yah’s eyes, and choosing the righteous path on a daily basis, by refusing to eat certain things, watch certain inappropriate programs that do not edify, or by not listening to certain music or desecrating the Sabbath, among other things, is you choosing the tree of life. Each day we are given the choice between that path, the tree of life, whose fruits are seen in Yah’s servants, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, whose fruits are evident in those who have failed the test by choosing to remain disobedient. Those who do pass these daily tests are called conquerors, and they will be granted eternal life for their choice. Yeshua promises:
“To the one who conquers I will grant to eat of the tree of life, which is in the paradise of Elohim.”
—Revelation 2:7
So, just as all the products and foods you buy are tested before they enter your home, each and every person is tested before they can enter their final home in the paradise of eternity. Whoever fails on life’s testing ground, whoever fails to conquer, will not make it to the real world. But whoever passes these daily tests of life will be groomed for service and allowed to live out their true purpose, just as Abraham did after passing his tests, as well as Jacob, Joseph, Moses, Daniel and his three friends, and many others. Like them, Yah will test you daily; he will test your love, your faith, your patience, your endurance, your obedience, and your mercy, among other things. These tests are all conducted as a means to develop your spiritual character, in order that you might be properly disciplined to carry out your true purpose. Continually failing these tests, or resisting the process of testing will disqualify you for his great service and you will only be allowed to fulfill a temporary purpose before your life is used up.
You must learn to recognize Yah’s tests also, as he will test you according to what has been written concerning our ancestors. Many times, these tests will come when Yah’s presence is not felt. He left Adam and Eve alone in the Garden during their first test, and reading of the righteous king, Hezekiah, Scripture records that:
“Elohim left him to himself, in order to test him and to know all that was in his heart.”
—2 Chronicles 32:31
WEEK 5
In testing you, Yah will seem to be taking too long in delivering on a promise, or it may appear that you are left to dangle in a precarious circumstance you did not create for yourself; a situation may change without notice and threaten a negative outcome, or tragedy may enter your life at a time that is most inconvenient. You may even find that one problem seems to lead to another on a given day, despite your best efforts to correct those issues. In all of this, Yah will be marking your reactions, your impulse to rely on him, and your success or failure rate. And every test you pass will propel you to the next level and prepare you for your purpose.
Over the next 8 weeks, I’m asking you to continue this journey with me; not a journey to figure out a career path, or how to busy yourself and fill your life with meaningless activities. In fact, we’ll be seeking to clear out the clutter and pare things down so you can focus on the most important aspect of your life: what it is Yah has truly called you to do in service to him.
Remember that our purpose, and our plans, must derive from Yah. This 12-week journey will involve listening to this message one week at a time, while applying its principles to your life. The 12 parts should not be binged in one go, otherwise it defeats the purpose of the journey. If you have already viewed the series one week at a time, then feel free to binge in another viewing.
THINGS TO DO OVER THE COURSE OF THE NEXT WEEK
First, listen to this message several times and review its various points.
Keep this in mind:
I know that I will be tested in order to be properly conditioned for Yah’s service, and his tests will also prepare me for eternity.
Reflect on this verse of the week:
“Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which Elohim has promised to those who love him.”
—James 1:12
Ask yourself this question:
Will I choose the tree of life daily by obeying Yah’s rules and statutes, or will I choose the tree of the knowledge of good and evil through disobedience?
Keywords: life metaphor, tests of life, Garden of Eden, tree of life, tree of the knowledge of good and evil, choose righteousness, conqueror, overcomer, daily testing, Hezekiah, Adam and Eve, Daniel and his three friends, Abraham, kingdom preppers, finding purpose, 12-week journey, searching for purpose, kingdom prepping, kp, scripture-study
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