“You shall not put the Lord your God to the test, as you tested him at Massah. ”
Deuteronomy 6:16 ESV.
What does it mean to test God? It simply means to provoke Him or doubt His Word or promises for our lives. To provoke means to deliberately make someone angry. So, when we provoke God, we are deliberately making Him angry. Provocation could come in the form of speech or actions (which are the results of our decisions).
Several times Jesus warned us not to put the Lord our God to the test, by deliberately provoking or making Him angry. The Word of God says we should guard our hearts with all diligence for out of it flow the issues of life. A lot happens in our hearts before it is either played out as an action or spoken as a speech. By so doing, we must weigh every activity in the form of decisions before acting or speaking, for it can make or mar our relationship with God.
When we don’t guard our speech or actions either towards God or Man, we are damaging the strength of the relationship. The Israelites spoke and acted against God several times in the wilderness, which ultimately delayed their progress in life. Likewise, any unguarded speech or actions towards a destiny helper or friend could deter us from achieving success with them.
Ultimately, our relationship with God and the people He places in our lives requires intentionality, reverence, and faith. When we second-guess God’s promises or act out of impatience, we end up spinning our wheels in our own spiritual wilderness. To avoid testing God, we must choose to rely fully on His timing and trust His character, even when the path ahead seems uncertain. By guarding our hearts today, we ensure that our words and actions build a bridge toward our destiny rather than a wall that blocks our progress. Let us, therefore, walk in obedience and absolute trust, knowing that He who promised is always faithful.
Shalom 🕊️
Bimpe Lawal