The Test...

"Thou shalt not put the Lord Thy God to the test." - Jesus Christ

Why not??

The Christ was being tempted by Satan according to the story. The devil quoted scripture saying, "Jump off this temple roof and Angels will bear You up, lest You dash Your foot against a stone." (It's written in the scripture, so it must be true.) Jesus responds with a one-liner quote, "Don't test God". Did Jesus say this because God is really that weak? Or because He knew that if He jumped off the temple, no angel would catch Him??

I've had my feet to the fire for a very long time now- years. I know what it's like to barely hang on to sanity because of the chaos, pain and loss in my life. I find it VERY disturbing, that God is allowed to test man to the utmost lengths of our endurance. But we are not supposed to test Him???????? He is the invisible one here! We humans are tangible, we know we exist because we can see, hear, feel and interact verbally with one another.

If I had a dollar for everyone who told me that my situation reminds them of Job, I'd be filthy rich by now. So let's look at the story of Job.

Job is a wealthy and honorable man with a large family and many servants & cattle are in his care. Job is just going along doing his thing the best way he knows how. Meanwhile, behind the scenes in Heaven, Satan goes to God and says, "Hey, You've been too good to this guy and he's only serving You because You spoil him. Let me strip him of everything and we'll see just how much he really loves you." Like a weak child who can't say no to a dare, God offers up his faithful friend Job as a crash-test dummy saying, "Okay Satan, have your way with him- do anything you want, just don't kill him."

God volunteers his good friend Job. Nobody said, "Job, would you be willing to undergo great loss in order to vindicate God from an accusation?" No, God just throws him at the mercy of Satan. Sorry, but that is just incredibly cruel!!!! I wouldn't do that to the worst of my enemies.

We follow the story and Job loses all his servants, beloved children, all his cattle, his health and ends up sitting on a pile of ashes, in extreme physical pain, overwhelmed with grief, living in a daze with a broken heart. His wife is despondant. THERE ARE WORSE THINGS THAN DEATH!! We don't know how long Job was left to exist in this awful state, but his situation was SO terrible that when friends came to see the situation for themselves, they sat stunned & speechless for days. However, as all believers seem to do, when they were able to speak, they did to Job what so many did to me & my family- they started accusations. "Well, Job, maybe you didn't really pay a faithful tithe?" "Well, Job, maybe you should fess up about your "secret sins"." "Well, Job, maybe God has abandoned you." (partly true)

I don't find anywhere in the story where it says that God was with Job in all of this suffering- which means He did not keep His promise to "never leave or forsake". So for all practical purposes, Job was left to stand on his own. Then, in the midst of horrible misery, Job dares to question God and God gets all indignant with him saying, "Who are YOU to question Me? I am God and you are just a man."

Sorry, but I no longer find inspiration from the story of Job, folks- stop comparing me to him!

Christians are quick to point out that in the end, after Job had withstood the terrible test, God gave him everything and more. That is supposed to erase the fact that Job lost his first batch of kids? In the Seventh-day Adventist tradition, I was taught that the first batch of children Job had were spoiled & rebellious and that's why God allowed them to die. (Scripture doesn't say that, their prophet EGW does.) Job is someone who's name is so lightly mentioned in Sabbath School discussions- everyone's an expert you know. Only those who have had a Job experience can speak his name with reverence for the Hell-on-earth he went through.

My point? God is almighty, all-knowing & untouchable- He should be able to handle testing much moreso than weak humans- yet testing or questioning Him is forbidden. But, WE are the ones put to the test every day and for what?? To PROVE His character??????

Sorry, but this makes no sense to me!

Christians, do not hate me for questioning my beliefs. It is YOUR inconsistent ethics that sparked this in me and drove me to it. You talk about grace, but I find you can be the most ungracious. You talk about faith, but often fail to believe in each other. You talk about forgiveness, but I have found many grudge-holders. Talk about charity, but your giving is just going through the motions- it's a ritual for you. You talk about truth, but you have missed the greatest of all truths and that is love- genuine love- not just the kind you put on for appearance sake and pats on the back. You talk about Christ, but so few of you are like Him. This is what I have against you.