The Test.

My apprenticeship was a particularly intense and extremely valuable one. I worked for one of the larger and more well known companies in the city at that time and that brought with it the advantage of all the apprentices being rotated around other jobs within the company so as to gain a wide range of experience

During the first couple of years everything was overseen by the tradesman. He ordered all of the materials. He checked everything. He monitored everything. And along with that he was teaching us all the things that we needed to know in order to become a competent tradesperson.

Soon, as we moved into the last phase of our apprenticeships a subtle change came along. Almost imperceptable at first, but suddenly it seemed as if we were being challenged about out workskills. Any time that I went to the tradesman to enquire about a problem he would turn it back on me and ask me what I myself would do to sort the problem out. He wouldn’t help but he watched as we tried to solve a problem by ourselves.

Pretty soon we were being given the tasks of planning materials for the jobs and organising our working day by ourselves. And this carried on until it got to the stage were we were left to do jobs by ourselves and the tradesman would just check in with us at the end of the day.

What I didn’t realise at the time was that this “testing” period was actually part of the process whereby we were encouraged to think for ourselves as responsible tradesmen. The tradesmen and bosses wanted to teach us to step up and take responsibility for our own work as competant tradesmen.

And the memory of this was rekindled this week as I was listening to some of my bible studies.

I have been reading systematically through the gospel of John and we came to chapter 6 and read where Jesus feeds the 5000. The feeding of the multitudes took place to the east of the Sea of Galilea in a place which we now know as The Golan Heights. And it was a little verse in the middle of the scene that caught my attention and brought back this memory. It is in verses 5-6…

John Ch6 (5) When Jesus looked up and saw a great crowd coming toward him, he said to Philip, "Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?" (6) He asked this only to test him, for he already had in mind what he was going to do. 

Philip answered in a flippant sort of way (7) “Lord, it would take more than six month’s wages to feed this lot”.

The disciple Andrew spoke up, but I think his suggestion was more of a shot in the dark than anything meaningful and proactive… (9) "Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?" 

But Jesus knew exactly what was happening here, for He was the same God who fed the Children of Israel with Manna from Heaven every night in the Sinai wilderness. And the rest of the story of The Feeding Of The 5000 is well taught in churches and Sunday schools.

But it was v5-6 that stirred my thoughts. And I wondered if sometimes God pulls back from us a short way and leaves us to take the initiative figure things out for ourselves. Will we chose our own desires or will we seek to glorify Him?

Consider what Jeremiah says…

 Ch17 (10) “I, the Lord, search the heart, I test the mind, even to give to each man according to his ways, according to the results of his deeds.

Or consider what was written in the Book of The Proverbs…

Proverbs Ch17 (3) The refining pot is for silver and the furnace for gold. But the Lord tests hearts.

It’s a hard question to ask, and an even harder one to find an answer to. Does God step back and wait until we seek for Him of our own volition? It’s very easy for us to say we are “waiting on God”. And sometimes we are indeed waiting on God for something specific to happen. But sometimes God is waiting on us!!

He wants us to pray, or sing a hymn or chorus. He wants us to open a bible and read something from His word. But, I believe that he wants us to learn to do it of ourselves.

Consider the words of Hosea…

Hosea Ch12 (6) But you must return to your God; you must maintain love and justice, and wait for your God always. 

Or one of King David’s Psalms…

Psalm Ch5 (3) In the morning, LORD, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait expectantly. 

So, when we start to get into the habit of looking for God by ourselves, then we know that we are definitely in a good place with him.

Take a little time in the morning and You'll feel better all day.
Take a little time for Jesus to get down on your knees and pray.

He took the time to die on the cross so all our souls wouldn't be lost.
If you find yourself slipping and the thing to do is take time out for Jesus.
He took time for you.

Email - TheseLivelyOracles@hotmail.com
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Location: 1 A1, Belfast BT1 5YE, UK

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