Vindicate me, O Lord, for I have walked in my integrity. I have also trusted in the Lord; I shall not slip. Examine me, O Lord, and prove me; try my mind and my heart. (Psalm 26:1-2)
Focusing on David’s words, “Examine me and prove me,” Jewish commentators explore an interesting concept related to the idea we were examining in the previous devotion. Before, we emphasized the distinction between someone being tested to see if they will do right as opposed to placing them in a situation that proves they will do what is right. Our Jewish friends take a slightly different approach to the these distinctions but one that is interesting for us to consider and learn from.
Basically it can be summed up this way: if a specimen of gold were being examined, it would be to determine to what degree the specimen possesses the properties associated with gold and to determine what impurities were contained in the specimen. However, if it were tested, the goal would be to discover any unknown facts about the specimen, specifically whether or not these hidden qualities could be of service.
As crazy as this may sound, it reminds me of something that happened when I was playing high school football. I loved to play on the defensive team and wasn’t half bad, and felt very comfortable at playing most positions on the defensive line. One day at practice, the coach decided to move me to a linebacker position; he wanted to see if my abilities on the line were an indication that I might have the skills to play linebacker. I guess you could say I was being tested to see if there were unknown skills that needed to be explored. (By the way, I ended up fluctuating between the line and the linebacker position).
The point is that God will put us in positions that we aren’t comfortable with but that are designed to explore and reveal hidden qualities and skills. According to some rabbinical commentators, this is what David was asking the Almighty to do in his life — to go beyond how just any man would be examined and test him to see if there are any unique qualities (maybe even deficiencies) that need to be brought to the surface so that God’s purpose can be advanced. I have to say this notion resonates with me because, for the last several years, my wife and I feel as if we have been put to this kind of test. I say that because, for the last several years, we’ve been doing something I said I would never do — pastoring a congregation.
We have discovered that God has given us grace as we grow into this position and have discovered, quite to our surprise, what He knew all along — there were gifts He had invested in both of us that only being placed in this situation could provoke to come to light. This leads me to conclude that all of us will face a similar scenario at some point in our walk. In fact, if it hasn’t happened already, I’m sure that many of you will soon experience a move or transition that seems a bit uncomfortable. But if God does this, it is necessary for your growth so that you may fulfill His will for your life. The testing is engineered to bring out all that He has created you to be, and so as David prayed, let it happen and trust God for the outcome.
Blessings and Shalom,
Bill
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