Does God Test Us?

I suffer from test anxiety and have all my academic life. The fear of failure and judgement have led to severe angst on occasion. After all, I am just me and who wants a grade that challenges who we think we are? While the thought of God testing us can stir feelings, this is a reasonable question that if we are honest, we can admit occasional wonder or feelings begging for an answer. Does God test?

Rather than opine as I prefer to let any critics take it up with the one that gave the message rather than to be the messenger wounded by an arsenal of words that can get beneath the skin. Hear my heart and hang in there as I lay the foundation for the answer. I pray that you gain much as you navigate through this guidance. 

Do you believe God is the same today as in days written about in the bible? If you are not definitive in your conviction, consider Hebrews 13:2 “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” 

Are you certain that Jesus is God? This must be addressed as far too many people want to believe as individuals according to individual ideology rather than be grounded by the Spirit of all truth rooted in Scripture. When it comes to matters of the heart, it is best to be grounded in unchanging truth. For the sake of time and space, I encourage you to read and meditate on Philippians 2:5-11. Prayerfully ask God to reveal what is true. In short, Philippians 2:6 “although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped” 

Building the foundation

1. God is the same yesterday, today, and for all time. 
2. Jesus is God. 

If God tests, who and why?

Let me give some context. After Moses led the nation of Israel out of Egypt things by the people’s own choosing went very bad for the majority of them. Equally devastating but with a different outcome and hope the bad that wiped out generations was also bad for the survivors. Those survivors, by the way, were in their twenties and younger. Two things to know if it were now. Moses was like the Boomer generation mentoring the survivors who were more like Gen Z today in potential. Today the traumatic event these Israelites survived would be identified as an Adverse Childhood Experience (ACE) in counseling terms. The traumatic event was consequence of not adhering to God’s commands. Stay with me.

The book of Deuteronomy or second giving of the “Commands” given by God to Moses to the nation of Israel was to teach the survivors and youngest remaining generation that had been directly impacted by God’s judgement. Do not lose heart. To the “youth” spared by God, Moses gave hope, and mentored them how to flourish. This was the generation set to receive the blessing promised to the people of God. Moses encouraged the youth pointing out the difference-making potential that generation possessed. This story has played repeatedly. Those that do not learn from history will repeat it. Those that grow in wisdom, come to know that hope prevails. For more reading on this see Deuteronomy 8:1-7. Moses even told them they had been tested for a reason. The purpose was the opportunity for each to know l what was in each heart. The testing was that of a nation, generation and ultimately to the individuals doing with the Word of God what each decided to do with it. 

Why would God test any one?

In the following passages it is important to notice the “why” in each instance with this in mind, “The heart is more deceitful than all else and is desperately sick; Who can understand it?” Jeremiah 17:9. While it important to have heart, it is most important to know heart motives. Full transparency is not our human nature, it takes divine revelation with desire and bare brokenness before our Healer to reveal that God meets us where we are and not where we want to believe we are. God meets us where we are and not where we would have others believe that we are. God tests the heart with great benefit.

Check out the leaders, nations and people that God has tested over time and learn “why.” 1 Chronicles 29:17, Deuteronomy 13:3, 2 Chronicles 32:31, Jeremiah 17:10, Jeremiah 20:12. 

Recap

1. God does not change, people do.
2. Jesus is God and Savior of the world
3. Nations, leaders, and individuals have been historically tested.
4. There is purpose in the pressure of testing.

Jesus told the Pharisees what the greatest commandment is by quoting from the Old Testament from where most of these examples are given. Don’t be mistaken, there is testing in the New Testament just as there is today. Nations, leaders and individual alike are tested. 

Friend, only God knows what is truly in our heart. There are times that over time through trials, our suffering is producing or shows us what is really in our hearts. Peter says our faith is being refined. James discloses conflict is due to heart motives. God indeed tests us.Through revealing the heart we discover how deeply God loves, how we can love him, and how we are capable of loving one another. When we do not know what faith is capable of producing we can be falsely insecure in things that are not trustworthy. The Word of God stands firm and He holds you securely. I pray “that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.” Amen

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All bible verses and links are cited from Bible Gateway New American Standard Bible.