On reading this word many of us get allergy! 🙂 No one likes to write exams – we had whole loads of it when we were in schools and colleges. And we feel “Enough is enough!” But does our “TEST” stop with colleges? NO! A big NO! In life we often face tests. It is said that “In schools, they teach first and then conduct tests but in life we face the tests first and then God teaches us!” How true! We all would have faced God’s tests for sure and we have learnt many lessons out of those.
So what does the Bible teach us about God’s tests? Why does God test us? What does He look for? In what ways He tests us? And what would be the end of it all?
WHEN? Job asks God, “What is man that you make so much of him, that you give him so much attention, that you examine him every morning and test him every moment?” (Job 7:17,18) So God tests us every morning, every moment? Whether we like it or not!
WHY? God has lots of reasons for testing us. A few of those are
– To test whether we love Him, The LORD your God is testing you to find out whether you love him with all your heart and with all your soul. (Deut 13:3)
– To test what is in our hearts and thoughts, Test me, O LORD, and try me, examine my heart and my mind; Ps. 26:2 (How boldly King David asks God to test him! Do we have that courage?) Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. (Ps. 139:23)
– To test whether we would obey His instructions, Then the LORD said to Moses, “I will rain down bread from heaven for you. The people are to go out each day and gather enough for that day. In this way I will test them and see whether they will follow my instructions.” (Ex. 16:4)
– To keep us from sinning, Moses said to the people, “Do not be afraid. God has come to test you, so that the fear of God will be with you to keep you from sinning.”(Ex. 20:20)
– To test our faith, we all know Abraham’s test (Gen22:1) because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. (Jam 1:3,4)
HOW? God’s way of testing maybe different to each one of us. He uses others to test us, “I will use them to test Israel and see whether they will keep the way of the LORD and walk in it as their forefathers did.” (Ju. 2:22) by the praises that we receive, “The crucible for silver and the furnace for gold, but man is tested by the praise he receives.” (Pr. 27:21) “I will refine them like silver and test them like gold.” (Zec. 13:9) I have tested you in the furnace of affliction” (Isa 48:10) I was wondering what exactly does furnace of affliction mean? I was really surprised to find the different meanings of the word “affliction” – suffering, difficulty, burden, problem, hardship, pain, trouble, misery – and that says it all!
RESULT – “The crown of Life”
God tests us so that in the end it might go well with us. “He gave you manna to eat in the desert, something your fathers had never known, to humble and to test you so that in the end it might go well with you.” (De. 8:16) “Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.” (Ja. 1:12)
SELF-TEST
We also need to test ourselves whether we are in the faith and see whether we fail the test! (2 Cor 13:5,6) and if we feel that we are below pass mark or below the standards that God has set then we must return to the Lord (Lamentations 3:40) I was really impressed on reading about Apelles, only one line is told about him in the Bible – “Greet Apelles, tested and approved in Christ.” (Rom 16:10) Does that line stand true for us too? “Tested and Approved in Christ?”
Thoughts: Hannah's Blog 
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