- 11 hours ago
“God left him to test him and to know everything that was in his heart” (2 Chronicles 32:31).
There are times of testing that God initiates and allows to happen for our good. For instance, Job's test was instigated by Satan, but God permitted it for His glory and purposes (Job 1:9-12). Then there was the time when Abraham was tested to see how far he had progressed in his walk with God:
Some time later God tested Abraham. He said to him, “Abraham!” “Here I am,” he replied (Genesis 22:1).
God knows our hearts, but our problem is that we don't often see ourselves as God sees us—we don’t understand what's in our hearts. The Lord says, “The heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked” (Jeremiah 17:9). The tests from God are designed to help us see ourselves and how far we fall short of His standard—Jesus Christ. I see at least two purposes that God has in testing our faith. If you are a Christian, God is at work within you to make you more like Jesus in your inner self, your character. If you are not yet a Christian, you may be in a trial or test designed or permitted by the Creator of the universe to bring you to a point where you might realize your need for Him. God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble (James 4:6). A man or woman might seek fulfillment and peace with God through His accomplishments or goodness, but they will find that inner peace eludes them. However, if a man acknowledges his spiritual bankruptcy or moral failure before a holy God, he will find favor with Him:
My sacrifice, O God, is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart you, God, will not despise (Psalm 51:17).
The Scripture above was written for all men and women everywhere. When you come to God with a heart of need—a broken, contrite heart (to be contrite means to be affected by guilt and remorse)- the test or trial you have endured has done its work. Although what you have faced may have been very dark, God is working in you for eternal benefit. Life is not solely about living in this world; we are spiritual beings having a human experience. A time will come when you see the eternal benefit of what you have experienced, if you repent, believe the gospel, and place your faith and trust in Christ.
Have you ever read the story of Joseph in the Book of Genesis (Chapters 37-50)? This young man, around seventeen, was thrust into a test of which he was unaware. Through the difficulties he faced, gifts emerged in him that God used for his personal growth and the salvation of his family during the famine that struck the land. At the time of testing, the famine was still many years ahead. God worked in the heart of young Joseph, training and building his character so that he might endure political office alongside Pharaoh. God allowed the test so that Joseph would bring deliverance to his entire family when the time of famine came. How does this relate to you and me? Like Joseph, you may be experiencing a test and trial that will prepare you to be a blessing to those around you.
God shapes and transforms our character through tests. The dark times of testing and trials trained him for his promotion. If we emerge from the test with our character intact, God can trust us with greater responsibility. When you pass the character test, God knows that you will not compromise your faith in Him and can be used to a higher degree. Are you currently facing a trial? Is it a test from the Lord? If so, don’t compromise! Hold on to Christ amid the darkness—light will come, and you will one day hear Him say, “Well done, my good and faithful servant.” That means everything to the child of God. Keith Thomas
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