Welcome to Day 4 of our 40 Days of Prayer and Fasting and to the fourth day of our 5 Days of Waiting on God. 
At this point, I want to believe that you know that these days are not ordinary; God Himself has taken us by the hand and has led us into a journey with Him in the wilderness where he is pruning, refining, and preparing us for the next season as a church and in our individual lives. 

If you carefully look at some of the stories in Scripture of men that God took through a process like this, there were some specific things that categorized God’s process with them, and it’s called The Testing of the Lord. Yes, the Testing of the Lord, not the Tempting of the Lord. 

Deuteronomy 8:2 says:
New King James Version
2 And you shall remember that the LORD your God led you all the way these forty years in the wilderness, to humble you and test you, to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep His commandments or not. 

Exodus 20:20 also says:
New King James Version
20 And Moses said to the people, “Do not fear; for God has come to test you, and that His fear may be before you, so that you may not sin.” 

These two scriptures are very specific. It says God himself wanted to prove them, to test them. He was proving to them, but for what reason? To reveal their heart to them so they would see it and change their ways and look to Him.

God would do that to them because there will be no growth or process if you don’t see the areas that need change. And that growth would always lead them to repentance and the fear of the Lord.  It’s also important that you can see the distinction between testing and tempting; it’s all about the motive. 

The bible clearly states in James 1:13-15
New King James Version
13 Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone.
14 But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed.
15 Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death.

God does not tempt, nor can he be tempted. The end of temptation is for sin to be birthed. James says that temptation occurs when you are drawn away by your own desires and enticed; once that desire is conceived, it births sin. God would never draw you to sin.

For the Israelites, the end of their test was stated in verse 16 of Deuteronomy 8
Deuteronomy 8:16-18 
New King James Version
16 who fed you in the wilderness with manna, which your fathers did not know, that He might humble you and that He might test you, to do you good in the end— 
17 Then you say in your heart, ‘My power and the might of my hand have gained me this wealth.’
18 “And you shall remember the LORD your God, for it is He who gives you power to get wealth, that He may establish His covenant which He swore to your fathers, as it is this day.

The test was for their good in the end. For them to be humble and not boast in their own capacity or their own power or ability. 
It is God who gives power to get wealth; it is God who gives satisfaction; it is God who keeps, secures, provides; it is God.
The kind of pruning that happens in your heart through experiences like this is Godward; it’s to teach your heart to look to him, to depend on him, to remember him. Because if you’re in the wilderness and relying on your own strength, you will perish. 

It’s not easy to relinquish control of your life, time and resources to the Lord; it’s easy not knowing what’s next; it’s not easy following the Lord without seeing the full picture first. You think that it is only by your meticulous planning and strategizing that you will succeed; this wilderness experience will teach your heart to trust the Lord.
Yes, it will be uncomfortable; you would be going against your natural instincts, but that’s what these experiences are for: to reveal your misgivings and for the Lord to teach you to trust Him.

Many times, you might feel God’s loving nature is in opposition to His capacity to test and try you, but that’s far from the truth. God wants your faith to be able to stand the test of time. 
In both the Old and New Testament, the word test mean to “prove by trial”, to prove that your faith is not fickle, that your trust is not circumstantial.

1 Peter 1:6-7 
New King James Version
6 In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials,
7 that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ

Peter says that the genuineness of our faith, having been tried by fire, would bring praise, honour, and glory to our Lord Jesus Christ when he is revealed. Testing should be welcomed with joy; remember it is to do you good in the end. 
And as much as passing the test is good, the real pruning and change lies in how you go through the test.

Like the Israelites, will you go through a test begrudgingly and continuously complain about the journey? This is what happens when you forget who it is that is leading you through. Rather, you should embrace the experience, trusting that God knows what He is doing, that no matter what happens, no matter how hard it is, you know that He is working it all out for your good in the end.
The YOU that emerges out of the trial is a thousand times better than the one who entered because you have been fortified.

James 1:3-4 
New King James Version
3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience.
4 But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.

When you are tested, it works in you patience, and that patience would cause you to be perfect, lacking nothing, complete! 

So the question now is: would you be patient enough to allow the refining fire to work in your heart till it comes out gold, or would you crack under the pressure of the trial? Would you keep your eyes on God, the refiner or be distracted by the heat?

Pray this way:
Dear Lord, help me to endure in trials, teach my heart to trust and rely on you as I navigate various tests. Let this period of pruning do a good work in me as I wait in patience.

With Love,
The Catalyst,
Pastor Michael Ipaye.