I have always hated tests.  My friends always seemed to whiz through them in school, but I struggled – struggled the point of getting blinding migraine headaches and becoming physically sick.  When I took my driving exam, I remember gripping the steering wheel with whitened knuckles.  With each medical test, I worry and wonder what the outcome will be.  Testing isn’t fun unless you are brilliant, you have no health issues and no fear.  Most of us aren’t built that way.  There is always something that gnaws away at us.

Now that I’ve reached the “golden years” you would think the testing would be over and maybe I would have passed.   I don’t believe God is sitting up on a cloud somewhere, dictating the kind of tests we will face each day to to antagonize us.  Each of those tests is designed to bring us closer to Him and His Word.  He wants to hear from us.  He wants our complete attention.

Some days I’m almost afraid to pray for patience, because I can usually be guaranteed of another struggle.  Many people think that when you become a Christian you no longer have to face any problems.  They believe that if you have issues with anything in life, you aren’t right with God.  I believe that this world is preparing us for heaven.  We are being made patient through our adversity.

There are many times when God should lose patience with us.  We’re stubborn, self-centered, angry, helpless and many times thankless.   God provides for all our needs and still we want more.  We’re like the kid in the back seat of the car – constantly asking – “Are we there yet?” 

Isn’t it wonderful that our God is so patient with us?  He continually puts up with our shortcomings and even overlooks them, because of what His Son, Jesus did for us. 

When things seem hopeless and like the testing will never end, let’s look forward to what lies ahead – eternal life!

“Be patient, therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient about it, until it receives the early and the late rains.”  James 5:7