God's tests, often referred to in Scripture as probation, not to be confused with life's trials, are a little-discussed topic today. It is a crucial subject that influences our Christian life and our relationship with God. By examining examples of biblical characters undergoing trials, we can identify various types of tests. We will discuss these different types of tests, examine examples, seek to understand why God tests us, and highlight some misconceptions we may have about divine tests.
The importance of this topic cannot be overstated. There are times when God is guiding you and He will lead you into a situation where you will be tested. Many people run away from tests because they assume that a test or challenge means they have failed God's will. This is absolutely not the case. It may simply mean that you are being tested, as everyone is.
Jeremiah 17:10 King James Version I, the Lord, search the heart, I test the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings.
Proverbs 17:3 NIV The furnace is for silver, and the furnace for gold, but the LORD tests the hearts.
God tests hearts
The Lord tests hearts. Jeremiah 17 and Proverbs 17 give us much-needed insight into the issue of God's testing. This passage in Jeremiah 17 unequivocally states that God tests us. He says, "I test the heart." And for what purpose? To give to each person according to their way, according to what their actions deserve. This is impressive. This is where many people have a flawed reasoning: they understand that, in the process of redemption, God does not judge us based on our merits, but rather grants us His forgiveness when we turn to Jesus. As a result, they come to believe that they will always receive what they desire in every area of their lives, regardless of their behavior.
This idea of testing is not limited to the Old Testament; it is also deeply rooted in the New Testament. We often believe that God grants us His blessings only on the basis of our prayers. While He does answer our pleas, He also acts based on our works, the merits of our actions, and the state of our hearts. In reality, He searches our hearts.
Types of Tests
Tests come in many forms. Here are some examples of tests as we encounter them in the lives of different people in Scripture, which we will examine in detail later.
- The Difficult Instructions.
God may give us instructions that are difficult to follow or require a significant sacrifice. The story of Abraham, who was asked to sacrifice Isaac, is a prime example of this type of trial.
- Unusual situations.
Sometimes God places us in unusual circumstances to test our obedience. The provision of manna for the Israelites in the desert is one example.
- Difficult circumstances.
These are situations that test our faith and our resistance in the face of adversity.
- The reaction to trials.
How we respond to difficulties and trials can be a test of our character and faith.
- A trying time.
Often, God's timing does not match our expectations, testing our patience and trust in His plan.
Test 1: Difficult Instructions – Abraham’s Example
According to Proverbs 17:3 and Jeremiah 17:10, God tests our hearts. So how does God test us? To find out, we'll explore the life of a man whose heart was tested, a man God eventually designated as his friend. Several times in Abraham's life, he was tested, and his obedience would determine the rest of his life. Now let's follow this story. In Genesis chapter 22, something very interesting happens. By this point, we've seen Abraham set out for the land God showed him, settle there, move from place to place, build altars, and so on. He had made a mistake with Hagar and given birth to Ishmael, and he had circumcised his entire family. Then, many years later, when he was 99 years old, God appeared to him and told him that his wife would have a child. Indeed, Sarah conceives a child and gives birth to him. We also witnessed the departure of Hagar and her son.
All these incidents are now a thing of the past. Many events had happened in this man's life one after the other. He had been to Egypt, left, gone to the land of Abimelech, came out again, and now everything seems to be back to normal. You know how a person struggles in life, tries to accomplish things, goes through difficult situations, and then it seems that everything is going well. Now I can relax, now I can be at peace, since I have achieved stability in my life and in my relationship with God. Now everything is like clockwork, everything is in place.
This is what Abraham experienced. He had his son Isaac, and he was growing up. The reality he had longed for was finally here, and God's promise was there too, resonating in his heart. His wife Sarah was happy because, after all these years of barrenness, she was now a mother, her son was growing up, and he was doing well. The promise was being fulfilled because the child of promise was here. The Lord would appear several years after Isaac's birth.
Several years after Isaac's birth, the Lord comes to test him. According to Genesis 22: "After this, God tested Abraham." God tested Abraham. God does not act in a way that is out of character; it is entirely in God's character to test His people, to place His people in situations that test them. It is entirely in God's character to disturb you for a higher purpose. We need to soak this passage in. He is essentially asking Abraham to give Him his hope, his pride, his joy, the child he has waited many years for. He knows it will hurt, but He asks anyway.
The test is this: Give Me back what I have given you, I will take away what is very precious to you. Abraham cannot argue, he could not say: "But Lord, he is my only son!" God had told him: "Take your only son!" Nor could he say: "But Lord, I love him!" God had told him: "The one you love!" It is as if He were saying: "I know what I am asking of you, I know it is something great, it is a sacrifice, and I know it will bother you, I know it will cost you something, but I am asking it anyway, because I want to test your heart."
Remember: Proverbs 17:3, “God is the trier of the hearts.”
On God's instructions, Abraham had let his first son, Ishmael, go. Who could have imagined that God would also ask him for the second, and this time in a very radical way? So Abraham got up and left, setting off with his son at his side. And we can imagine that, with every step he took, this old man must have been reminded that God is faithful. With every step, he told himself that God is faithful. God is faithful. Otherwise, how could he have continued on?
I always say that I don't seek God to love me. God loves me. God is love. He can only love me. What I want is for God to be pleased with me. Share on XThese stories were written so that we can see our lives in them, so that when our turn finally comes to be tested, we will not consider it excessive. People often reject the Lord's demands because they don't suit them, believing that He has made a mistake. They do not know the Lord. It is important for us not only to love the Lord, but also to know Him, His ways and His character. It is essential that we move beyond the simplistic and watered-down view of Christianity that has been passed down to us, a view that leads us to believe that God is there primarily to support our weaknesses.
The New Testament tells us that Abraham believed God had the power to resurrect his son. Throughout this time, he must have been convinced that the Lord would not abandon him. I imagine he was thinking, 'Truly, the God who led me from my homeland to this place, the one who made extraordinary promises for me and my descendants, and who prompted me to let Ishmael go, is undoubtedly a faithful God. This same God, who has saved me and my wife time and time again, undoubtedly has great plans for me, and He will accomplish them.'
And he persevered in his walk, advancing tirelessly, no doubt meditating on the faithfulness and power of God, he recalled what he had as a continuous revelation from God.
The purpose of Abraham's trial
Just as this story was about to end, Abraham has an encounter with God, and God says to him, "Now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld your only son from me." This sentence must be engraved in our hearts, and we must meditate on it at length. It has also, for another reason, given rise to much speculation, analysis, theological discourse, and so on. For, you see, God is omniscient, and therefore he knows everything. God knows the end from the beginning. God knows the thought that is in my mind before it is even on my lips.
So why would God say, "Now I know"? I believe many of these things must be left to God's sovereignty. We accept and cooperate when He tells us He wants to discover certain things about us. And I believe that, more than anything, He wants us to discover certain things about ourselves. But here He says, "Now I know." In other words, now you have confirmed, your actions have confirmed what I put in you, what I expected of you, and what I told you.
Test 2: Unusual Circumstances
In a human's life, we will find ourselves in different circumstances, sometimes accidentally. But at other times, God will orchestrate circumstances that are unusual and where we must comply with His instructions. In the case of Israel, they faced a completely new situation in feeding themselves in the desert. It was an unusual situation in which God gave specific instructions regarding the gathering and consumption of the heavenly bread.
Exodus 16:4: “The Lord said to Moses, ‘I will rain bread from heaven for you. The people will go out and gather it each day according to their need. Then I will test them to see whether they will keep my law or not.’” When we read this passage, it doesn’t shock us; we think, yes, manna. But imagine hearing this for the first time, bread will fall from heaven, you only have to gather enough for one day. You won’t find that normal at all.
And what follows confirms that this is a test, because God says that He will put them to the test, to see if they will follow His law or not. This is an aspect that escapes many believers, because they think that God's instructions are optional, and that we can respect them or not. But God expects us to obey Him and follow His instructions. It is a mistake to think that God is against all the complicated circumstances in which we find ourselves, sometimes it is He who is the architect to test our hearts.
God's pleasure in trial
I pray that God can look at you when you come out of a trial and say, “Now I am pleased with you. I am satisfied with you.” Beloved, God calls each of us, but there always comes a time when He examines us and will express His satisfaction or dissatisfaction with us. I always say that I am not looking for God to love me. God loves me. God is love. He can only love me. What I want is for God to be pleased with me. I want Him to be pleased with me. What I want is for what I think in my heart, what He sees in me, and what I do to be perfectly in line with His desires. I want that when He tests me, I will react as He desires, and give Him satisfaction. Abraham reacted appropriately, and God was satisfied.
Misconceptions about God's Tests
First there is a false idea of Christianity.
We have a man-centered idea of Christianity that God exists for our enjoyment, when in fact, it's the other way around. According to this idea, being a Christian means God meeting all my needs, fulfilling me, and making me feel good all the time. So when I don't feel good, it's because God isn't doing His job.
We have an idea of Christianity that is man-centered, that God exists for our pleasure, when in fact it is the other way around. Share on XFurthermore, in this view of Christianity, any instruction that goes against my current feelings is rejected as coming from the devil. Otherwise, God Himself is blamed for actions deemed contrary to His nature. We tend to believe that His character is to soothe us, continually encourage us, and bring us well-being. The version of Christianity that many believers teach, preach, and hope for is often the source of much disillusionment. Indeed, individuals end up disappointed because their perception of the relationship between God and humankind is often profoundly removed from reality.
Then, a misconception about the nature of testing.
While exploring this notion of testing, I came across a forum where people were discussing their experiences of being tested by God, which I found fascinating. One member of the group confided that he didn't have a girlfriend at the time and felt like God was testing him. He didn't have a girlfriend at the moment; that was the test. While I was there, I wondered if Western Christianity had lost its way. Haven't we lost our way? Not having a girlfriend is what we call a test from God.
Our Christian perspective on the world is increasingly marginalized. Western society has become fiercely anti-Christian, fostering a growing and widespread stigmatization and suppression of Christians. Preaching Christ is now considered highly reprehensible. In the contemporary world, it takes great courage to speak out for and preach the Gospel, denouncing the ills of our society.
Today, in many parts of the world, Christians are being persecuted and killed for their faith in Christ. An estimated 3 billion people have never received the gospel. And those who have heard it have very little awareness of the gospel. Our mission is to go to these places and share the gospel with them. It is possible that some of us will have to sacrifice our lives for our beliefs. So be it.
To conclude
It is imperative that we change our perception of pain and difficulty, or we will fail to live a life that honors the Lord. If we are to survive these last times, we must be quick to obey and learn to submit fully to God. He is sovereign. God is not only a father, He is also a king. And as a king, He demands obedience. We should thank the Father for all the opportunities He gives us to obey Him. It is essential to thank Him because He tests us as His children, allowing us to grow in our relationship with Him and in our commitment to serve Him. Let us express our gratitude for the grace to recognize the seasons of testing and to succeed in the tests.
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