When God Tests Us

James 1:2–4, 12–15; Job 23:10

The Bible speaks about temptation in two different ways. There is the temptation that comes from Satan, designed to draw us toward sin and spiritual defeat. But Scripture also speaks of the testing of our faith. Satan tempts us because he wants us to fall; God allows our faith to be tested because He wants us to stand.

Job understood this kind of testing when he said, “But he knoweth the way that I take: when he hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold.” Job could not understand everything that was happening, but he trusted the God who knew where his road was leading.

Testing first reveals what is in us. Peter confidently declared that he would never deny Christ, but when pressure came, he discovered a weakness he had not recognized in himself. The tests of life often do the same for us. They reveal whether our faith, patience, love, and convictions will remain when they become difficult or costly. Sometimes an important prayer in the middle of a trial is simply, “Lord, what is this showing me about me?”

Testing also strengthens what God is developing in us. James tells us that “the trying of your faith worketh patience.” Just as muscles become stronger through resistance, spiritual endurance develops as our faith is exercised. There is a difference between knowing that God is faithful and walking through difficulty until we can personally say, “I have found Him faithful.”

Finally, testing prepares us for God’s purpose. We usually see only the immediate difficulty, while God sees where He is taking us. This does not mean that every painful circumstance is directly sent by God, but it does mean that nothing placed in His hands has to be wasted. He can use even the difficult experiences of life to shape us and prepare us for His purposes.

Like metal in the hands of a blacksmith, we may not understand the heat of the fire or the blows of the hammer. But the Craftsman knows what He is making. Job's confidence can therefore become ours: “When he hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold.” When we cannot see the way ahead, we can still trust the God who does.