God Promises to Pass the Test

Psalms 78:41 Again and again they put God to the test; they vexed the Holy One of Israel.  
 
GOD doesn’t like to take tests. When the devil tempted Jesus, our Lord quoted God’s law from Deuteronomy 6:16: Matthew 4:7 It is also written: “Do not put the Lord your God to the test.”  When the Pharisees talked with Jesus, it was not to learn from him but to test him. (Mark 8:11) Testing God is never being satisfied with him. We always want him to prove himself.
   Psalm 78 is a summary of God’s history between Egypt’s bondage and David’s reign. Asaph summarized God’s power, and the wonders he has done.
   He established Jacob ­– the nation Israel – and established his law. He commanded them to teach their children, so future generations would know him. But some soon forgot. The psalmist refers to the men of Ephraim, they did not keep God's covenant
and refused to live by his law. This is Israel, the unfaithful Northern Kingdom.
   Then the psalm points back to the Exodus journey. God led them day and night. V 17 But they continued to sin against him, rebelling in the desert against the Most High. V 18 They willfully put God to the test by demanding the food they craved.
   They were never satisfied with God’s provision. V 20 When he struck the rock, water gushed out, and streams flowed abundantly. But can he also give us food? Can he supply meat for his people?” The sad truth was v 22 they did not believe in God or trust in his deliverance. Still God was merciful. V 24 he rained down manna for the people to eat, he gave them the grain of heaven.
   But God would not tolerate forever Israel’s disdain for his sovereign care over them. V 31 God’s anger rose against them; he put to death the sturdiest among them, cutting down the young men of Israel. But that did not cause them to fear God. V 32 In spite of all this, they kept on sinning; in spite of his wonders, they did not believe. 33 So he ended their days in futility and their years in terror.
   Still they tested God!  he psalmist tells more of God’s power to destroy Egypt and then to establish Israel in the Promised Land. V 56 But they put God to the test and rebelled against the Most High; they did not keep his statutes. Israel suffered many defeats under God’s judgment until he raised up David to rule Israel.
   A heart that tests God is a heart that wants to reject God. We put God to the test when we see his blessings as something he owes us. “God created us, so he should please us.” The sinner’s first command is, “Love me, LORD, above all things, and worship me only.” The sinner’s prayer is, “Give me this day all I want.”
   Do you feel God owes you? Then remember Jesus: Philippians 2:5 Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: 6 Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, 7 but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death – even death on a cross!  9 Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth.  
   Because Jesus humbled himself to die for our sins, in his power we can humble ourselves to die to our wants.