Who is the one Testing your Faith?
“Instead of your shame you will have double. Instead of dishonor, they will rejoice in their portion. Therefore in their land, they will possess double. Everlasting joy will be to them.” (Isaiah 61:7 WEB)
There is this religious belief in the body of Christ that “God allows us to go through sufferings to test our faith”.
I’m not sure whether they have this image of God sitting there and watching as if to find out if we succeed or not.
God as an omniscient Being already knows the level we are at. He also knows what mistakes we will make, before we even thought of committing them.
There is no need for Him to test us, as if He doesn’t already know!
“Count it all joy, my brothers, when you fall into various temptations, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. Let endurance have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.” (James 1:2-4 WEB)
The kind of testing is not for God to know, but it is to provide us with real-life opportunities to use our faith.
The Greek word for testing is “dokimion” which can also mean “proving”. Sufferings are opportunities to use our faith and grow stronger through them.
So we are the ones testing our faith, not God!
It’s like how you can read all about bodybuilding, but if you don’t go to the gym and actually do the exercise, you won’t actually get stronger.
Reading teaches you the principles of exercise and how to do it right. But actually doing it is what increases your muscle strength.
The Scriptures teach you the way of faith, and sufferings allow you to test that faith in real-life, proving that you really believe what God’s word says, and also increasing your spiritual strength.
Sufferings happens at times because of our own mistakes and we have to deal with their earthly consequences. Other times, the devil instigates attacks, adding fuel to the fire.
God allows these to happen up to certain safe limits for us, to perfect our character and correct our wrong beliefs.
When a skillful refiner purifies silver, he has to attentively watch the silver, and take it out of the fire at the right time.
Take it out too soon and it isn’t fully purified.
Wait until it’s too late and the whole silver is lost.
“Take away the dross from the silver, and material comes out for the refiner;” (Proverbs 25:4 WEB)
Even amidst your fiery suffering, God knows the exact moment to pull you out from it, so that you reap the full benefits of the experience without being throughly damaged.
This is His appointed time of deliverance—perfectly calculated, not one moment too late or too soon.
When you emerge out of the circumstance, our God graciously restores you for what you went through.
Instead of shame and dishonor, you’ll receive double portion of blessings and rewards!
This happened to Job—he received double in quantity for his lost herds, and double in quality for his lost sons and daughters.
Job may have been 70 years old before his trial started, as he was given an additional 140 years of life to enjoy after the trial.
The days of suffering are short compared to the years of blessedness.
“So Yahweh blessed the latter end of Job more than his beginning. He had fourteen thousand sheep, six thousand camels, one thousand yoke of oxen, and a thousand female donkeys. He had also seven sons and three daughters. He called the name of the first, Jemimah; and the name of the second, Keziah; and the name of the third, Keren Happuch. In all the land were no women found so beautiful as the daughters of Job. Their father gave them an inheritance among their brothers. After this Job lived one hundred forty years, and saw his sons, and his sons’ sons, to four generations. So Job died, being old and full of days.” (Job 42:12-17 WEB)
We become enriched through tough seasons in our lives. If you don’t go through any trials, you can’t reach new levels of blessedness.
Flow with God’s times and seasons. Trust that He is preparing you for new levels!
I’d like to invite you to join my new Patreon Bible Study series called “God’s Appointed Time”.
You’ll learn what the Holy Spirit is saying now about God’s system of times and seasons, and how to make the most out of every circumstance you’re in.
Lots of people become angry and frustrated with God because they lack this revelation.
Join as a “God Every Morning” or above tier patron on Patreon to receive this Bible Study series and more rewards: http://patreon.com/miltongohblog
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