Thoroughly Tested

"Your promises have been thoroughly tested,

and your servant loves them."

Psalm 119:140

God loves me.  This truth never wavers.  Throughout my life, whether I've known it or not, acknowledged it or lived as if I'm worth less than the mud on the bottom of my shoe, believed it or felt like an orphan, I've been perfectly loved by Love Himself.  My love for God, however, has not always been as true.  And a devotion to His ways?  I've more often than not been dedicated to following my own path, in my time, according to my terms.  

My love for God's ways will grow, however, as I see them test out in my life.  His promises are worthy of my full faith, but I won't know this until I begin a journey of faith that begins with a single step.  I will always prefer my way over God's way until I begin to believe in the goodness of God.

Taste.  "If it doesn't fit, you must acquit."  Defense attorney Johnnie Cochran spoke these infamous words during the closing arguments of the O.J. Simpson trial, referring to the prosecutor's case against his client, but also to the risky courtroom demonstration of the defendant trying on the gloves used in the murder to prove he was their owner.  Unfortunately for the D.A.'s office, for whatever reason, the gloves didn't quite fit and this failed attempt ended up being the nail in the coffin of their case.  Sometimes, putting your money where your mouth is can backfire.

Unlike this cringe-worthy moment in criminal/pop history, I will never be disappointed if I place my weight on Jesus, making a public commitment to Him and the path He has for me.  David exhorts me to "Taste and see that the Lord is good." (Psalm 34:8)  He is always good, through and through (Psalm 136:1, 145:9, James 1:17).  He does not have bad days when He will let me down, when I'll be sorry that I placed my full trust in Him, when I'll regret having chosen His ways.  He is a good God whose goodness is thoroughly tested.  Therefore, I can place my full confidence in Him.

Since God's goodness is thoroughly tested, I can take Him up on His promises and find He will live up to them every time, without fail.

Repent.  Sometimes I'm on the fence.  I try to live my life my way yet still trust in Jesus as Lord and Savior.  Trouble is, I can't have it both ways.  Either I'm all in God's kingdom with Jesus as my King, or I'm ruler of my own life, fooling myself into thinking I'm following Jesus.  There can only be one king of my life.

This is why it's necessary to repent, literally meaning to "turn away."  I can't work with Jesus and fight against Him at the same time.  It's impossible to let Him have His way and me get mine as well.  Either I'm for Him or I'm against Him; the gospel of Jesus Christ begs a decision (Matthew 12:30).  This means there is no straddling the line; I must choose one side or the other.  And the only way I can choose Jesus is if I lay down my own faulty methods of coping with life, my inferior attempts at living a meaningful life, my meager tries at saving myself, and fully embrace God's good plan of redemption and restoration.

Since God's forgiveness is thoroughly tested, I can repent from my inferior way of living and embrace His best for me.

Rest.  I have an unhealthy pattern in my life.  I tend to pay too much attention to what I can do for Jesus, trying really hard to prove myself worthy and earn my keep.  As I scurry around like a busy little ant, giving what I think is my best for Him, I fail to see that Jesus has already done all that is necessary.  As He lovingly said to Martha, I am "worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed-or indeed only one." ( Luke 10:41b-42)  He went on to say that Mary, in sitting at His feet and listening to His every word, had chosen what is better.

How hard it is for me to go against my flesh.  It cries out for attention, wanting to do what comes naturally.  But in Christ, I am a new creation, made for new desires, new patterns, new motivations.  In order to find the restoring process as Jesus makes me into the woman I'm meant to be, I'll need to cooperate.  This means I must get out of the way and let Him do His job.  The best way to accomplish this is to enter into His rest, accepting what He has already done for me and making myself like pliable clay in His hands (Hebrews 4:1-7).

Since the Gospel of Jesus Christ has been thoroughly tested, I can rest in what He has already done, cooperating with His lifelong plan of transformation.

The more I see God's promises play out in my life, the more my love for Him and His ways will grow.  In order to start this process, I'll need to give God a try, taking Him up on His offer of forgiveness and relationship.  I'll also find it necessary to repent of my inferior ways and take up His superior plan for my life.  It's equally as important that I stop resisting His efforts in purifying me and making me into the woman He created me to be and start resting in His redemptive work.  In these ways I'll discover that God's promises are thoroughly tested and can be trusted.  What am I waiting for?

As I begin this day it is my prayer that I can trust God with every part of my life.

When do I want my own way more than I want God's best for me?

How do I fight hard to get what I think I deserve instead of letting God give me what Jesus already died to secure for me?