January 8

I Chronicles 29: 17 and 18 begins with an eventuality that we, in the natural, try to avoid. It states, “You, O Lord, try the heart and delight in the uprightness of my heart…I have seen with joy Your people who offer up voluntarily and freely to You…keep forever such purpose and thoughts in the minds of Your people and establish their hearts toward You.

Of course we have no objection to the preponderance of the passage. Those of us who profess to know His name desire to delight Him, yearn to freely give back to Him a portion of all the blessings He lavishes upon us, endeavor to keep our minds fixed upon Him and our hearts inclined toward Him. It is the part about the heart being tried that causes us to cringe.

If we could establish the plan for our lives, we would walk in comfort and pleasure and blessing. We would enjoy perfect health, we would attain great success, we would have perfect relationships, we would know God in the fullness of His power—employed in our behalf—whenever we have a need. But He tells us ahead of time that there will be times when our hearts’ resolve will be tried.

Indeed it is difficult to stand strong when we are broken. Or is it in our brokenness that we become strong! Perhaps our faith is tried most in times of blessing—when we feel self-sufficient. Perhaps He’s saying our heart’s trial can come in any form! If that is so, then He is telling us here that He desires that we maintain our steadfastness in the good times and in the bad times.