One of the greatest delayers to our destiny is being caught in the [sad you see] man trap. I believe man’s testings are harder to pass in contrast to when God tests a person. Man will test to seek their ‘rule’ or standard over you while God tests to look for His fruit and His Son in you. Man’s tests are often unattainable, they are religious and scrutinizing. Man’s tests will kill your flesh, and depend on man’s power to bring about any life. God’s tests will also kill your flesh, but delight in the Resurrection and the Life; they celebrate obedience and look at the heart.
Man can not measure up to man’s standards because man will always fail you, man’s ways are not higher than God’s, and furthermore man can not give you the Holy Spirit. God will not only give you the Holy Spirit to help you, though He also gives grace to the humble and help in time of need.
Man is sad with what he sees, never satisfied. The Sadducee’s mentioned in the New Testament were part of the political and religious system who aimed to trap Jesus, one of the beliefs they held was that the resurrection did not exist. Modern day application is these types of people will try to subdue or deny the power of God in and on people’s lives. It may be very subtle, but essentially they are agreeing that their power (opinion and authority) are greater than God’s opinion of you. And with this being said, I am not suggesting that we do not submit to authority.
However, in opposition to man’s (religious and often prideful) testing God is humble and is not intimidated by His own power, it is for His Son’s glory that He shines through yielded earthen vessels. God is moved by the pure heart that longs to please Him; His eyes searching for those who will reverently fear Him, love Him, and obey Him.
So how do we escape the testing of man? We don’t really except internally. We overcome in the mind by knowing the scriptures and trusting in the Lord. The testing of man is a matrix test, it is battled in mindset and belief… ‘as a man thinks so is he’, how will we be formed? We yield to the Lord’s testing, and are conformed to Him as He tests our mind and searches our heart. We do not fear man, but fear God and keep His commandments. We become victorious as we pray like David, setting the Lord before us day and night, always searching for His counsel, above the fear of man. “I will bless the Lord, Who has given me counsel; yes, my heart instructs me in the night seasons. I have set the Lord continually before me; because He is at my right hand, I shall not be moved.” Psalm 16:7-8 AMPC.
“The fear of man brings a snare, but whoever leans on, trusts in, and puts his confidence in the Lord is safe and set on high. Many crave and seek the ruler’s favor, but the wise man [waits] for justice from the Lord.” Proverbs 29:25-26 AMPC
“Teach me Your way, O Lord, that I may walk and live in Your truth; direct and unite my heart [solely, reverently] to fear and honor Your name. [Ps. 5:11; 69:36.] I will confess and praise You, O Lord my God, with my whole (united) heart; and I will glorify Your name forevermore. For great is Your mercy and loving-kindness toward me; and You have delivered me from the depths of Sheol [from the exceeding depths of affliction]. O God, the proud and insolent are risen against me; a rabble of violent and ruthless men has sought and demanded my life, and they have not set You before them. But You, O Lord, are a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in mercy and loving-kindness and truth. O turn to me and have mercy and be gracious to me; grant strength (might and inflexibility to temptation) to Your servant and save the son of Your handmaiden. Show me a sign of [Your evident] goodwill and favor, that those who hate me may see it and be put to shame, because You, Lord, [will show Your approval of me when You] help and comfort me.” Psalm 86:11-17 AMPC
“Thus says the Lord: “Cursed is the man who trusts in man and makes flesh his strength, whose heart turns away from the Lord. He is like a shrub in the desert, and shall not see any good come. He shall dwell in the parched places of the wilderness, in an uninhabited salt land. “Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose trust is the Lord. He is like a tree planted by water, that sends out its roots by the stream, and does not fear when heat comes, for its leaves remain green, and is not anxious in the year of drought, for it does not cease to bear fruit.” The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it? “I the Lord search the heart and test the mind, to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his deeds.”” Jeremiah 17:5-10 ESV

