The test was short - only four questions. It was man and woman's first test; and they failed. They needed to answer correctly on three questions to get a passing grade. They bombed all four questions and then God told them to get out of paradise.
In my life I've failed that "Four Question Test" innumerable times. Take a look at the Test and then I'll tell you about my failures.
As a boy and then as a young man, several things happened to me that caused me to walk away from God. The details aren't necessary and the events happened before the age of maturity. Lack of maturity may be a lame excuse and I don't blame anyone but myself for my failures during God's tests. Still, as a youngster I walked away from any type of organized religion because of my experiences.
- “Where are you?”
- “Who told you that you were naked?"
- "Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you that you should not eat?”
- “What is this you have done?”*
I was like a tree with my roots in the world. Even though my branches could feel the cool breeze of God asking "Where are you Bob?" I ignored Him. My conscience felt guilty, I knew I was naked and devoid of God's covering because of my separation from Him. That separation is sin.
Instead of reaching for the sun, the tree of my life began receding into a sinkhole of self-righteous indignation. When I had reached my lowest point of emptiness and loneliness, God asked me His fourth question; "What is this you have done?"
Last year I used a Bible Reading Plan that covered the Bible in 90 days. I noticed the rapidity and regularity of man's falling away from God. I also noticed that my first few decades of life mirrored that same destructive cycle. Staying in the Word helps me immensely, but I still get asked those same four questions from time to time.
Thanks for your time. Go do something nice for somebody.
Jesus loves you and so do we.
* The Four Question Test is taken from Genesis 3:9-13. New King James Version
