don't put God to the test: One Year Bible Reading for October 8

 Today we read from these verses in the One Year Bible:

Jeremiah 10:1-11:23
Colossians 3:18-4:18
Psalm 78:56-72
Proverbs 24:28-29 

Let's look at the Psalm. The psalmist tells us that things went bad for Israel because they put God to the test. And as Jesus told us very clearly (while He was schooling Satan on the subject), "Do not put the Lord your God to the test." But what does that mean, exactly?

Well, when Jesus taught Satan, He meant that jumping off the mountain so that God would have to save Him from dying was putting God to the test. It's the mentality that says, "If God is really there, He will...." We used to joke at the college I went to that praying for God to bless the cafeteria food was having faith, but asking God to make it taste good was testing God.

We were just joking. (Mostly)

But if you step out in faith to do something trusting God to meet your needs because you believe He called you to do it - that's having faith. If you do something that seems crazy and think to yourself, "God will keep anything bad from happening to me!", that's testing God.

Don't test God.

God, thanks for teaching us the difference between having faith and testing You.