Daily Chizuk #1205

Hashem tests us all the time. There is no light flashing the words “TEST” when they come. And as a matter of fact, Hashem makes them appear to come so naturally so that it doesn't even seem to us like Hashem sent them. Hashem is able to make it look like a person is a victim of circumstance or a victim of other people’s free will. In reality, however, it is always a set-up just to give this person the opportunity to elevate himself by overcoming it. The difficulty of these tests is that by listening to the evil inclination, the person gets immediate gratification, whereas if he does what is right, he has to give up the instant gratification and wait until later to be paid for his sacrifice. That’s all an illusion. When a person takes forbidden pleasure, he will eventually lose it at another time. Yet, when a person holds back from doing what is wrong, he will definitely be paid for all eternity, and sometimes Hashem will give him a bonus in this world as well.
We don’t always see immediate benefits for overcoming our tests; that’s also part of the test. We must always remember, everything that happens is planned by Hashem and if we respond the way He wants us to, we will be rewarded for all eternity.