Test Everything

Okay, I'm new to blogging, so please be patient. In case you just happened to stumble upon this page I want to post a devotional every day from the Bible and perhaps an excerpt from something I am writing. The former is mostly for your benefit and the latter mostly for mine. I hope to offer a little hope, a little encouragement, and maybe a challenge in the devotions. I hope in the excerpts to get a little feedback. Who knows? Maybe you'll like my writing. Either way, let me know.

Devotional for the day:
1Thessalonians 5:21,22 says: "Test everything. Hold on to the good. Avoid every kind of evil." What does that mean in our daily lives? The Greek word for 'test' is dokimazo which means "to watch" or "to examine." The idea here is of observation which leads to a conclusion. To test everything, according to these verses, means to observe and determine what is good and what is evil. We are to hold on to the one and avoid the other. So, how's that working for you? Are you going through life just reacting to your circumstances, or are you taking time to observe and form a conclusion before you act? Look back for a moment. Think of something you now regret, that if you had "tested" it first you wouldn't have that memory stored on your hard drive. Bad memories can really hurt you. If left unchecked you soon find yourself frozen by fear or so guilt-ridden you think God will never forgive you. Well, here's the good news. Jesus died to provide forgiveness. Don't trivialize the cross by believing the lie that God won't forgive. There is nothing God wants more than for you to be clean. So, test everything. You will avoid a lot of pain. And when you do fall, ask the God who loves you to forgive you. I promise you he will.