STAY THE COURSE:
STEPPING INTO YOUR PROPHETIC DESTINY
PART 2: “THE TEST”
By Stephen Young
James 1:2-4: Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. 3 For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. 4 So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing. NLT
Last week I started with part one of “Stay The Course: Stepping Into Your Prophetic Destiny”, with “The Prophetic Process.” Go back and read it if you didn’t get a chance. Part two is “The Test.” As I shared last week, this is something I had the opportunity to share at a mid-week Bible Study at church and felt to break it down and share it with you over the next few weeks.
As you come into agreement with the words God has spoken over you, the promises He’s given you and the destiny He’s given you, and you begin to step into your destiny, there will come a time when you will have to go through a test. When you’re in school and you’re given a test, it’s to see how much you know about what you’ve been taught. It’s to see if you know what it takes to accomplish something. It also helps the instructor, the teacher, to see if there is an area you need more instruction in.
I have different certifications that I have received through various jobs I have held. Each certification required me to take a written test and hands on test to show that I knew how to do the job. Some steps I had to take to pass the test were; I had to attend the training class, I had to take notes, and I had to study. Once I completed those steps it was then time to take the written test and the hands on test. It’s sometimes easy to take a written test. Some people do very well on written tests because they retain a lot of head knowledge and they know what the right answer is. The real test, however, comes with the hands on test. Putting what you know into practice to see if you really know how to do the job. Many of us know what the Bible says about us but we must apply it in a hands on manner.
Here’s the key to passing the test. I wasn’t just given the test without first being instructed and trained on how to pass the test. The instructor had to first instruct and teach and show me so that I had every piece of information I needed in order to pass the test. It’s up to the instructor to equip the student to pass the test and it’s up to the student to take notes, pay attention, listen and study in order to pass the test.
As you step into the testing part of your journey with God, you have to know that you’ve been given everything you need to pass the test. The Lord isn’t going to test you on something He hasn’t already instructed you on. He’s instructed you and given you every piece of information you need to pass. Here’s an added bonus to your test, it’s an open book test! Any time you need an answer, open your training manual, The Bible, and you will find your answer.
The most important thing to remember during the testing portion of your prophetic process is to stay the course. You can’t give up, you can’t give in, and quitting can’t be an option. Quitting can’t be one of the options on your multiple choice question! Just like in real school, once you pass that test you can move on to the next level, the next grade.
This passage says to count it all joy when your faith is tested because your endurance has a chance to grow. But, maybe I can also count it all joy when I face a test because my Teacher has already instructed me and given me the answers to the test. He’s not going to give me a test unless He’s confident that I have everything I need to pass the test.
During this testing portion, it’s important to dig into your prophetic words, dig into the promises of God in the Bible and know them. Keep them at the forefront of your mind; they will help you to keep going during your test.
I’m sure many of you reading this are either in a test or have been in a test in the past but maybe someone reading this has failed a test and is disappointed and discouraged. If that’s you, I want to encourage you that it doesn’t mean that it’s over for you and you’re done. Remember, I said the test also helps the instructor know if you need more instruction and training. Just because you failed a test doesn’t mean it’s over, that’s not the merciful God we serve. If your heart is to do God’s will, He will pick you back up, dust you off and give you another shot at passing that test. Be open to further instruction and be determined to pass the test this time. Don’t give up, stay the course!
Next week I will be sharing on understanding the process of vision and prophecy. God Bless!
