Testing Comes Before Blessing
By Rick Warren
“I will refine them like silver and purify them like gold. They will call on my name, and I will answer them.” Zechariah 13:9 (NLT)
Some prayers are answered immediately, but others take weeks, months, or even years. You probably know this all too well! But there’s good news: While you’re praying for God’s answer, you’re going to learn some things that you can’t learn any other way.
In the waiting, there is blessing. One of the blessings is that you learn more about yourself when you don’t instantly get everything you want.
For two of the most important prayers I’ve ever prayed, God took 13 years to answer one of them and 25 years for the other. But he answered! They were the most important prayers in my life at that time. Why did it take so long? Because while I was working on the prayer, God was working on me.
When you’re going through fire, do you ever wonder why you have to go through it? It’s for testing and purification. As you pray about something over and over again, you face tests that reveal more about you.
God says in Zechariah 13:9, “I will refine them like silver and purify them like gold” (NLT).
You test gold by putting it in a big vat and heating it until it gets so hot that all the impurities are burned off. How do metalsmiths know when gold and silver are pure? When they can see their reflection in them.
God can see his reflection in you when all the impurities have burned out of your life—after you’ve been through the fire. He says that, after he’s done the testing and purification, “They will call on my name, and I will answer them” (Zechariah 13:9 NLT).
A Kentucky woman who was accused last year.
The intruders chased the girl in the house and threatened her when she hid from them, according to the PSNI Limavady Facebook page.
“She came out petrified with her Piggy Bank, HER PIGGY BANK! hoping that the men would take it and leave her dad alone,” one outraged officer wrote.
“What sort of men would think it is acceptable to subject a girl to this level of brutality and violence? an attack like thiop.”Neil Borton
The intruders chased the girl in the house and threatened her when she hid from them, according to the PSNI Limavady Facebook page.
“She came out petrified with her Piggy Bank, HER PIGGY BANK! hoping that the men would take it and leave her dad alone,” one outraged officer wrote. especially in capital projects and the suppliers and consultants that work for you know the value of a customer like that. As a consultant executing two projects for a large multinational, I realise how very difficult it sometimes can be on the receiving.
2 Comments
Riva Collins
It’s no secret that the digital industry is booming. From exciting startups to need ghor
global and brands, companies are reaching out.
Obila Doe
It’s no secret that the digital industry is booming. From exciting startups to need ghor hmiu
global and brands, companies are reaching out.