Sometimes our prayers seem to bounce off the ceiling.
The Bible is dry and monotonous instead of instructive and inspiring.
God seems unresponsive when we ask for help.
We know God is present because he promised never to leave us, but we are baffled by his silence.
At these times, God is like a classroom teacher.
Teachers speak to their students when they want to convey information, deliver instructions, or correct mistakes.
They are silent when they want their students to study topics already covered, follow instructions previously conveyed, or when they administer a test.
God works the same way.
He speaks to us when he wants to impart knowledge, deliver instructions, or convict us of sin.
He is silent when he wants us to study subjects already covered, follow directions previously delivered, or when he tests us.
God uses the afflictions we inevitably encounter in this fallen world to test our faith in his trustworthiness.
God’s tests are individually and uniquely appropriate for us.
They either cover topics we already know or present new problems we can readily figure out. They never outlast our endurance.
God’s tests are open book.
If we get stumped, we can always ask him for guidance, look up the answers in the Bible, or seek help from others.
God’s tests are eminently passable because they always concern the simplicity of our faith, not its erudition.
God gives some of us more tests than others because he knows that we can pass them.
He knows the new faith we gain will help us understand his excellence at deeper levels.
