God's Refining Tests of Faith

"God doesn't test us because He doesn't know how strong we are. Instead, He tests us because we don't know how strong we are -- and we'll only realize it when times of testing come."  - Billy Graham, American evangelist (1918-2018)

Do you remember those "pop" quizzes in school? The teacher would subtly remind us beforehand that one could be given at any time. We never knew when there might be one, so we always had to be prepared.

God sometimes tests our faith, as well. You know the feeling. Everything seems to be going smoothly and on course in your life. Then suddenly, out of nowhere, it seems to all go wrong! "What did I do or didn't do to deserve this?"

The aim of these "tests of faith," however, are not to punish or pass sentence on us, but rather to enhance and develop our faith. As a result of God's tests, our true strengths and weaknesses are disclosed and unveiled (1 Peter 5:10).

God uses them to bolster our character and deepen our relationship with Him. When these tests are presented to us, in the form of trials or challenges, they not only expose flaws in our faith, but give us a chance to flourish and persist (1 Corinthians 10:13).

Saint Augustine of Hippo beautifully summarized it this way, "Trials come to prove and improve us." Think of being tested as similar to the refinement of precious metals in a furnace. 

There, our impurities are eliminated, leaving us purer and more desirable. This also helps us to grow spiritually, and cultivate our character, making us a more mature and consummate believer (James 1:12).

The results of these tests of faith can vary between individuals. Some may come away with a renewed strength in their faith, while others may stumble. Even so, God will not turn away from you. He will help you persevere and not quit (Joshua 1:9).

There are many examples in the Bible of people who were tested. For instance, Abraham was asked to sacrifice his son Isaac (Genesis 22), and Job who experienced immense suffering. 

He already knows the outcome of these tests, and is not doing this out of curiosity or to see if we fail. Testing can reveal whether we truly trust in God's promises or not and are willing to follow His commands, even when it might be hard to carry them out. 

The testing of our faith can be manifested in many different ways, of which some might be:

• Feeling confused, stressed out, having a sense of not being good enough, being irritated or uninspired;
• They may also involve unusual delays, being confronted with situations that appear difficult or impossible to resolve or accomplish;
• Facing adversity and hardship, feeling enticed to compromise, even experiencing silence from God.

In the end, God's tests are intended to increase our strength and character. They make manifest what we are made of, and are never designed to inflict harm on us. Faith is about trusting in God even when we don't fully understand His intentions.

Scripture: Deuteronomy 8:2; Psalm 37:5; Luke 1:37; James 1:3; 1 Thessalonians 5:18

Prayer: "Dear Lord,  I turn to You for strength and comfort when facing trials. Help me to trust in Your plan, even when I don't understand. Give me patience and peace, and guide me through difficult times. In Your name, Amen."

May God richly bless you,

~Eve