Life Is A Test... BUT...

My wife and I enjoy playing the board game Scrabble.  It’s a challenge for me because I’m such a lousy speller, but we have some friends who enjoy playing with an “open” official Scrabble dictionary.  If you want to play a word but you’re not sure of the spelling you can look it up before you place the tiles on the board.  I’ve been thinking that life is just like playing Scrabble.  You are faced with a set of circumstances (the layout of the board), you only have a few resources to face those circumstances (the letter tiles), and you have to make some decisions about what to do (to play a word).  You want to do the best you can but if you do something wrong like placing the tiles in the wrong place or misspelling a word you can really be set back.  Sounds like my life.  I face my circumstances:  have to choose from my available resources and make decisions I hope will count for something. 

Life is like that.  Life is a test… BUT… God has given His permission for it to be an “open-book” test.  Before we make a decision, before we make a move, before we potentially make a big mistake, God says we can open the book and follow His instructions to make the right decision.   

In school, I loved open-book tests.  You could read a question then go look for the correct answer.  Well, I’ve been thinking that God has given us this fantastic book called the Bible…AND life’s an open-book test. I can go find the right answer… it’s great! 

I love Psalms 119:97-104.  These are some of my favorite verses about the function of God’s Word in my life: 

Oh how I love your law! It is my meditation all the day.

Your commandment makes me wiser than my enemies, for it is ever with me.

I have more understanding than all my teachers, for your testimonies are my meditation.

I understand more than the aged, for I keep your precepts.

I hold back my feet from every evil way, in order to keep your word.

I do not turn aside from your rules, for you have taught me.

How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth!

Through your precepts I get understanding; therefore I hate every false way.  

Now, I’m not the smartest guy in the fight for righteous living.  I may not know all the scripture I need to stand against my opponent and make the godly choice… BUT… I do have an open-book. 

And just like when Jesus was tempted in His wilderness, I can say, “…It is written, ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.’ ” - Matthew 4:4  

I want to be able to go find the “word that proceeds out of the mouth of God” but to do that I need to have the book open and be studying it.  An open-book test won’t do you much good unless you have the book open! 

I was recently reading about life on the internet – now, THAT is scary! I came across a very interesting anonymous quote that likened life to the Emergency Broadcast System message we hear on radio stations every so often… “BEEEEEP… this is only a test.”  The quote went like this, “This life is a test. It is only a test. Had this been an actual life, you would have received further instructions as to what to do and where to go.”  Obviously the person giving this quote was frustrated with his or her decision making options.  Many people have the feeling this life is a test but they think they’re left on their own without any directions.  It struck me as I read the quote – I have good news.  This life IS a test and it IS our actual life.  BUT we HAVE received instructions on what to do and where to go.  God’s word is the instruction book.  AND, life is an open-book test.  Is that great news?

 

Think about it….