DOES GOD TEST HIS PEOPLE?

God does test His people. It is a test of faithfulness, obedience and dependence.

God seeks proof of genuine love, stable faith and growth in the lives of His people. God refines His people, and invites people to test Him. Not only is belief in God itself precious, but trials of trust are also valuable.

Authentic reverence towards God governs a person's attitude toward every aspect of Christian life, emotional, relationships, provisional and spiritual growth.

God permits certain situations so that it can be worked out for good, including accidents and death. He allows people to pass through particular experiences that are presented to them by other people, circumstantial sway or Satan, so that He may use the situation for those in The Body of Christ to prove their trust in Him.

Opposed circumstances are not God's desire for His Created people, yet The Bible clearly lets people know that God uses adversity. Christians are wrong to think that all grief, or affliction will be removed. God is interested in helping His people through the tough times without striving.

God's Word advises believers to embrace the difficulties and persecution in life, in the hope that God's ultimate purposes will be carried out and filled in Christian lives.

Trials of faith in The Almighty Godhead are the times Christians need to draw close to God rather than pull away from their source of strength.

God wants mankind to have wisdom, and wisdom is tied to a relationship with Him, The Creator. God tested Abraham in order to give Abraham an opportunity to prove his faithfulness, his trustworthiness and true commitment in believing God. Abraham proved God and His provision. The test that God gave Abraham was not to do evil, but to see if His covenant partner was devoted to Him wholeheartedly.

Later God tested the nation of Israel, the descendants of Abraham for quality and genuineness of loyalty, however their response was a blaming attitude and a demanding manner. Moses and Aaron communicated God's instructions to Israel in the wilderness, yet they constantly rebelled, grumbled and were discontent.

Deuteronomy 8:2-5. 2 Remember how the LORD your God led you all the way in the desert these forty years, to humble you and to test you in order to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep his commands. 3 He humbled you, causing you to hunger and then feeding you with manna, which neither you nor your fathers had known, to teach you that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD. 4 Your clothes did not wear out and your feet did not swell during these forty years. 5 Know then in your heart that as a man disciplines his son, so the LORD your God disciplines you.

People should not test God as an expression of doubt and disobedience. Believers have a responsibility to test the quality of their lives themselves. King David prayed to God to test him. Psalm 26:2. 139: 23.

Jesus Himself tested the sincerity of commitment concerning trust and belief of the people when He was here on earth. The testing of faith develops Christian character and helps purify God's people.

Growth in trusting and belief in God is proven through His testing. Scripture emphasises the importance of hope, expectation and reliance in God, in relation to His promises. Total trustworthiness is the reliance and confidence in God, by holding on to God's promises.

God encourages believers to remain steadfast and faithful in the face of opposition. God permits persecution, and situations that may seem hopeless, but God promises help during trials. In times of testing, prayer is a means of help to persevere. God's people are victorious through trials and temptations with the help of The Holy Spirit, the examples shown by Christ and the prayers of those in The Body of Christ.

When a person is suffering in a trial or tribulation, it is always an impulse to blame God. The question will always be, at the time of persecution or when experiencing being disadvantaged, to remain faithful and loyal, or disobey and turn away from God. This happens because of the lack of knowledge of God's overall plan and principles that are in His Word.

People of other countries, usually heathen, suffer hunger, so it is a given opportunity for Christians to show mercy and help them, to prove that they are willing to obey His commandments and have the sincerity of compassion.

God never tests or corrects the heathen, who are unconverted, unenlightened individuals who do not wish to acknowledge God of the Bible, nor His Christ, but only His people exclusively, in order to know their love, adoration and worship for Him.

Believers sometimes doubt God and test Him of His faithfulness towards them, but the tempting of God is forbidden. Believers are also to test what they hear. When testing is used by God it is not to bring doubt or desire to trick and deceive but only concerned with obedience, showing unwavering loyalty and fidelity to His Sovereignty.

God is the source of Good. God's test with mankind brings about a life-long walk with Him. God's provision is always ready and waiting. To be obedient to God's Will is to find a new assurance of trust in God.

Many of the parables Jesus taught were about faithfulness, testing and proving of a servant's attitude of heart. Spiritual riches from God, through Jesus Christ, are of eternal value. God will make a final test of the believer's lives and service.

1Corinthians 3:12-15. 11 For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12 If any man builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, 13 his work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each man's work. 14 If what he has built survives, he will receive his reward. 15 If it is burned up, he will suffer loss; he himself will be saved, but only as one escaping through the flames.

To those who have proven faithful God entrusts His valued mysteries and treasures of truth, and is given more. This confidence is sustained by God's revealed truth.

God's people are His treasured possession and He entrusts them with The Truth to pass onto others, therefore it is of the uttermost importance to God, that their trust is in Him.

Jesus Christ has proven God to be true and faithful just by coming to fulfil what was promised.

SCRIPTURES Genesis 2:16-17,22:1, Psalms 26:2,139:23, Luke 4:1-13, James 1:13.
QUESTIONS 1] Why does God test His people? 2] Why did God test Abraham? 3] What did the nation of Israel do during testing periods? 4] What is always ready and waiting?

[line]
ABDA ACTS- Art and Publishing
Email address:
faysuter.3337@gmail.com [line]

[arrowleft] [arrow up]

Graphics and documents are copyright.1991-2003 All rights reserved.
Documents may be printed for single personal use but may not be alterted without written permission of the Publishers.
[line]
Managed by Stefan Kreslin, Last updated 26 August 1998