Devotional: Pressure test for our government due to the war in the Middle East.
The Pressure Test of Faith
Matthew 7:24–27 reminds us that the true strength of a house is not revealed on a calm sunny day, but when the storm comes. Jesus said that the one who hears His words and does them is like a wise man who builds his house upon the rock. When the rain descends, the floods rise, and the winds beat against that house, it stands firm because its foundation is secure.
In every field of life, a pressure test reveals the truth. A machine may look impressive in the showroom, but only under strain does it prove whether it will hold together. In the same way, nations, governments, institutions, and leaders are often exposed when crises arise. Under pressure, weaknesses that were once hidden become painfully obvious.
The pressure test is the only real indication as to whether a product or machine is able to do
stumbling politicians, who are ill-equipped, unqualified to be ministers in government when they lack the education and experience necessary to be at the helm.
Examples, the Bondi Massacre and now the plight of Australia not having enough fuel for the nation to operate! One can spout motherhood statements, hide the real truths behind bluster and bravado, but reality, the true pressure test of the Middle East war under way at the moment has brought massive holes in the dykes of our nations ability to stop from going under.
Yet the greatest pressure tests do not occur in laboratories, industries, or even in parliaments. They occur in the human heart.
Our walk with God is tested when circumstances suddenly change—when life hits a speed bump, when the rug is pulled from beneath our feet. A marriage may be tested by hardship, a parent–child relationship by the furnace of obedience versus rebellion, or a believer’s faith by illness, loss, or the shadow of death.
At those moments the question becomes clear: What foundation have we built upon?
A strong spiritual life is not built in the moment of crisis; it is built long before the storm arrives. We grow in strength as we remain faithful in fellowship with Christ’s body, serving Him with passion. We become stronger as we read God’s Word, meditate upon it, and obey it without hesitation. We sense the power of the Holy Spirit when we become people of prayer who remain in constant communication with our Heavenly Father.
The days ahead will bring increasing pressure upon the world. Scripture warns us that the Last Days will not become easier. The storms will grow stronger and the testing more intense. Those who walk diligently with God will grow stronger through the trials. But those who follow Christ at a distance—disconnected and spiritually neglected—will face the same storms without the preparation needed to stand.
When pressure comes, it simply reveals what was already there.
In the book of Daniel, a proud king learned this truth when God examined his life and declared:
Daniel 5:26–27
“This is the interpretation of the thing: MENE; God hath numbered thy kingdom, and finished it. TEKEL; Thou art weighed in the balances, and art found wanting.”
May it never be said of us that when our lives were weighed, they were found lacking. Instead, let us build daily upon the Rock, Jesus Christ, so that when the storms come—and they will—our faith will stand firm.