Tag: tested

December 18 – Unthwartable Purposes

“Then Job answered the Lord and said, “I know that You can do all things, and that no purpose of Yours can be thwarted.” – Job 42:1-2 (NASB)

In all the books of the Bible, there is none that matches the Book of Job. It is a story of God giving permission to Satan to test one of His own. Job was an extremely wealthy man. Some say the most wealthy of his time – sometime after Babel and before Abram. With permission from God Satan laid on Job the most serious trials in an effort to get Job to curse God and turn from his faith in God. Job lost everything except his wife and his own life. It was a stiff trial and very difficult to understand for a man who loved and followed God all his life. At the end and after hearing many recriminations from his so-called friends, Job confessed the words in today’s verses. He acknowledged God’s sovereignty over his life and all life. Nothing that God purposed to do can be thwarted is the promise we have. Have you a promise from God? Believe it friend and know that God will never renege on any promise he makes. His love for us is perfect and his grace has saved us if we have believed in Him.

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August 30 –Tried and Proven

“Every word of God is tested; He is a shield to those who take refuge in Him. Do not add to His words or He will reprove you, and you will be proved a liar.” – Proverbs 30:5-6 (NASB)

These are “the words of Agur the son of Jakeh the oracle.” We can only suggest that Agur was an otherwise unknown sage who could have been a student or teacher of wisdom at the time of Solomon. The words are identified as an oracle which was often used of the words of a prophet. The verses or proverbs we’ve selected compare the certainty of God’s revelation and the uncertainty of our speculation of what God’s words mean. Stating that every word of God is ‘tested’ is literally translated ‘tried’ in verse 5.  The same teaching comes to us in Psalm 12:6 “The words of the Lord are pure words; As silver tried in a furnace on the earth, refined seven times.” Proverbs 30:6 delivers a powerful affirmation on the inspired nature of God’s canonical Word to Israel. To add to or subtract from God’s Word is to deny God as the standard of truth. The same instruction and warning are given in Deuteronomy 4:2; 12:32. It is a first and frequent practice of false teachers to modify the words of God. The Bible concludes with the warning again in Revelation 22:18-19 with a more dire warning.

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June 30 – Tested and True


“Your word is very pure, Therefore Your servant loves it.” Psalm 119:140 (NASB)

In a book about promises is it not natural that we want those promises to be tested and prove true? Yes, we do. The Psalmist writing this song knew of the power and trustworthiness of God’s promises as they were revealed in the Holy Scriptures at that time. Psalm 119 is not only the longest chapter in verses, it is a psalm that references and says something true and good about God’s words in each verse. He saw and knew that any promises given by God were pure truth because they came from God. If God is who He says He is, then His word is true and His promises are as good as tested. Every word that we have from God is righteous and pure and we have solid reason to trust and love God’s word. His promises abound in number and in power. Nothing is stronger than a promise from God. What was the psalmist’s reaction to that truth? He said the he loved the promises. We too love the promises we find in God’s word. We love them because they are true, they encourage us, they guide us and give us strength to press on.

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