The Tests

 1 Samuel 19: 1 Chronicles 7; Psalms 59, Matthew 4

“But an evil spirit from the Lord came upon Saul as he was sitting in his house with his spear in his hand. While David was playing the harp, Saul tried to pin him to the wall with his spear…”

1 Samuel 19:9, 10

“But I will sing of your strength, in the morning I will sing of your love; for you are my fortress, my refuge in times of trouble.”

Psalm 59:16

“Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil.”

Matthew 4:1

In both the life of David and of Jesus, God allowed the enemy to tempt and attack, seemingly without cause. David’s insanely jealous father-in-law, Saul, felt threatened by David’s success and the anointing of God on his life. Satan tempted Jesus as a man, and tried to pull him away from complete dependency on the Holy Spirit. He was trying to get Jesus to revert to his divine nature and so disqualify his mission of atonement. Both David and Jesus found their refuge in the presence of God. In the midst of their testing, they trusted in the higher purpose of God’s glory. We don’t often know the rational explanation for why we are being tested, but God is using the enemy to refine our character and bring glory to himself.

Will we pass the test?

“Lord Jesus, you are my example of courage and resistance in the midst of testing. Fill me with your Spirit and Word that I, too, would be faithful.”