From the archives:

Have you ever felt really tested by God? When I had my wedding ring designed it included a diamond that belonged to my mother who had passed several years before. On a camping trip with my extended family, I lost that diamond. I searched frantically before alerting the rest of the family. Everyone joined the search for the diamond in the campground. 

We walked the dirt paths, turning over leaves and searched every vehicle I had been in. We went back to the grocery store and looked up and down the aisles asking others to keep a watchful eye out. After an hour or so of everyone searching from my dad to the kids, I realized it was a ridiculous and impossible task that I was wasting everyone’s time on. Inside my cabin, I cried to God, “Father, you know how much that diamond means to me and that it can never be replaced. But if it stands between me and you, you can have it.” I went outside and called off the search with a heartfelt thank you for all. 

The cabin had a kitchenette. After surrendering the search I decided to wash dishes. Plugging the sink drain I noticed a chip of glass caught at the drain edge. Wondering what had broken I plucked it out to find that it was my diamond–rescued from going down the drain, at the last possible second!  And I heard a small voice say, “I never wanted it. I just wanted to know if you were willing to let me have it.”

I ran out of the cabin demanding everyone guess what I had found! What I truly found was that when I chose to love God, even in the midst of loss, he would comfort me in miraculous ways.

“For ADONAI [the Lord] your God is testing you, in order to find out whether you really do love ADONAI your God with all your heart and being.” (Deuteronomy 13:4(3)) What do you need to surrender to Jesus today? The sooner you give it to him, the sooner he can respond with a miracle.