The Teacher Is Always Quiet During a Test

By: Jeremiah, Servant of the Living God

Life has a habit of throwing up challenges that can really test your faith. You may turn to friends and family to see how they made it through, but the challenges continue to rock your world. You might copy what you see the world doing, and some of you might even call on God and hear nothing in response.

But, when you are going through these tough times, you may wonder where is God? Remember the teacher is always quiet during a test.

My Testimony

I remember when I was passing through really hard times. It was so difficult to pay house rent, buy groceries, buy clothes, take care of my kids, and do so many things. When I was working, it was like I’m not working at all.

It felt like anything I was laying my hand on it turned to failure. It was so hard for me. Looking back, it was an extremely difficult time in my life.

I Turned to Witchcraft

I used to always go for (charms) Babalawo or go to obeahman / witch doctor/native doctor for help and it did not help. Whatever I collected from them, for example, black soap inside calabash; didn’t work for me. The killing of goats, or rams to do sacrifices, didn’t work for me.

Instead, things seemed doubly hard than before. So, one day I returned all these charms that the obeahman/witch man gave me.

He said, “It’s better for me to go and be praying to God.”

I asked him, “What did you just say?”

He said, “what I did for you to use, you are the first person in his history that will return something back to me.”

I was a Muslim back then.

He called my name Lukman. “Lukman, go and be praying to God.”

My Brother Introduced Me to Jesus Christ

During that time, one of my junior brothers had been preaching to me, urging me to take Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior. My younger brother was the first in our family to accept and know Jesus Christ.

Because of him, our entire family turned to Christianity.

But when he used to preach and beseech and testify to me, I always told him, “you don’t know what you are doing.”

Thank God he did not listen to me.

So, let me use this opportunity to thank God for his life because God enlarged his territory because he knows God and was faithful to Him.

1 Chronicle 4:10

Jabez cried out to the God of Israel, “Oh, that you would bless me and enlarge my territory! Let your hand be with me, and keep me from harm so that I will be free from pain.” And God granted his request.

I Turned to Witchcraft, Again

Then, the woman who had three kids for me, at that time, and her senior sister, took me again to another obeahman / witchdoctor / native doctor.

They said, “This man was powerful.”

When we reach his place, the man said, “Put the money in the pot.”

So, I did.

He said, “Be saying Amen.”

I started to say, “Amin Jesu (Amen, in Jesus’ name)”

The obeahman / native doctor said, “Stop saying that. only say Amen.”

I said, “Amin Jesu (Amen, in Jesus’ name)”

The women were also saying I shouldn’t call Jesus. But I continue saying, “Amin Jesu (Amen, in Jesus’ name)”.

Seriously, I don’t know what put that into my mouth. The charm man sent me out of his place

Listen, no one can set you free from what you are passing through, only God. I didn’t realize at that time that God, my teacher, was looking at me and being quiet during life’s tests.

To God Be the Glory

Today, I thank God for my life. I have nothing, but I have Jesus Christ and rest of mind.

All that I passed through made me strong in God. Our challenges make us strong because God told us, in Ephesians 6:10-17, to be strong in the Lord and in the power of his might.

Ephesians 6:10-17

10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.

11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.

12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.

13 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.

14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place,

15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.

16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.

17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

In 2 Corinthians 12:1-10, all that Paul passed through made him strong and his faith increased.

2 Corinthians 12:1-10

1 I must go on boasting. Although there is nothing to be gained, I will go on to visions and revelations from the Lord.

2 I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven. Whether it was in the body or out of the body I do not know—God knows.

3 And I know that this man—whether in the body or apart from the body I do not know, but God knows—

4 was caught up to paradise and heard inexpressible things, things that no one is permitted to tell.

5 I will boast about a man like that, but I will not boast about myself, except about my weaknesses.

6 Even if I should choose to boast, I would not be a fool, because I would be speaking the truth. But I refrain, so no one will think more of me than is warranted by what I do or say,

7 or because of these surpassingly great revelations. Therefore, in order to keep me from becoming conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me.

8 Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me.

9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.

10 That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

So likewise, you too always have faith that God will deliver you from whatever you are passing through.

But know, sometimes, he will be quiet and be watching you as you take on life’s testing and trials.

In Matthew13:58, Jesus Christ didn’t do mighty works because of the unbelief of the people around him. As Christians, we are supposed to know that our redeemer is stronger.

Jeremiah 50:34, also says that He has the power to deliver us from whatsoever we are passing through. We don’t need to be afraid. But we should always know that God, the teacher is always quiet during a test.

May God help us. 

Have a peace-filled day, shalom!

Amen.

Meditate on God’s Word

Many Christians struggle daily to live according to God’s word. But we need daily nourishment. That is why it is important to read your bible daily; even if it is a few verses and meditate on them.

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Today’s word is brought to you by Jeremiah, servant of the living God. He is a faithful follower of Jesus Christ, who lives in Nigeria. He believes in God and that all answers to life, can be found in the Word of God.