We’ve been answering the question “does God test us”? Yes, He does test us but not in the ways that some people have believed. What we’ve been looking at in the last three articles (September, October & November of 2014) titled “TEST” are things that happen, which are not tests from God but have been attributed to him as being His tests.
Let me make something clear again, the devil and others will test you but those tests are not from God or even being authorized by God. However, they will prove you just the same. Do not make the mistake in thinking that God is somehow behind them secretly or is even being needed by Him to prove you. You are who you are “In Christ”, whether God is testing you or if someone else is testing you. You are always to be like God in each and every situation that comes across your path regardless of who does the testing. God knows who is testing you and He still expects you to be like Him, think like Him and act like Him. No matter what comes down the road of life.
Revelation 2:10 (NIV)
10 Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer. I tell you, the devil will put some of you in prison to test you, and you will suffer persecution for ten days. Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you life as your victor’s crown.
Your view on what is a test from God will affect the operation of biblical faith in your life. If you think that God is responsible for any bad health issues, poor finances or hurtful circumstances than you cannot have any biblical faith to overcome them. You just have to accept them as God’s will for your life.
If God has made you sick or allowed sickness into your life than why try to get healthy again? Don’t seek help from medical science or anything else. In fact that means you are failing His test when you try to get well. Why would God even heal you if He is testing you with sickness or allowing sickness into your life? You will just have to wait it out and wish for the best. The people who believe this do just that. Sometimes they’ll even beg God for health “if it be His will” but how could it be His will if He is the one making you sick or allowing you to be sick? In addition to that, your body involuntarily acts in rebellion against God’s will because it will automatically start to fight off the sickness that is attacking your body. That means you are really in a mess because you can’t control your body’s design for healing itself. There is just no logical sense in the thinking that sickness is ever a test from God or financial problems or any other kind of bad circumstances.
I want to point out that God did design your body to heal itself. So it’s okay to get natural and medical help for your health. Most importantly Jesus paid for your total health on the cross. You can logically and correctly conclude that it is God’s will for you to be healed. All sickness and disease is an attack from the devil. Since Jesus paid the price for your healing don’t just take sickness lying down – be healed in Jesus name!
Let us read an example from the Bible on how God actually did test someone. We will look at the Gospel of John and read how Jesus tested one of His disciples.
John 6:5-13 (NLT)
5 Jesus soon saw a huge crowd of people coming to look for him. Turning to Philip, he asked, “Where can we buy bread to feed all these people?” 6 He was testing Philip, for he already knew what he was going to do.
7 Philip replied, “Even if we worked for months, we wouldn’t have enough money[a] to feed them!”
8 Then Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, spoke up. 9 “There’s a young boy here with five barley loaves and two fish. But what good is that with this huge crowd?”
10 “Tell everyone to sit down,” Jesus said. So they all sat down on the grassy slopes. (The men alone numbered about 5,000.) 11 Then Jesus took the loaves, gave thanks to God, and distributed them to the people. Afterward he did the same with the fish. And they all ate as much as they wanted. 12 After everyone was full, Jesus told his disciples, “Now gather the leftovers, so that nothing is wasted.” 13 So they picked up the pieces and filled twelve baskets with scraps left by the people who had eaten from the five barley loaves.
Jesus tested Philip by asking him a question, which ultimately challenged his faith in God. However, Jesus already knew what God wanted and He used it to teach Philip. Philip answered the Lord’s question directly and naturally. However, Andrew jumps in with a thought that was outside of the box by finding a boy’s lunch but even he still asked “but what good is that with this huge crowd?” Both of the disciple’s demonstrated that their faith was challenged with the Lord’s question.
All of God’s tests have answers and ways to get right. This is important to know. When you are faced with a test from God, know that God has the answer for you to use and pass the test.
We read about a question that God had asked Ezekiel concerning dry bones in Ezekiel chapter 37.
Ezekiel 37:1-4 (NLT)
1 The LORD took hold of me, and I was carried away by the Spirit of the LORD to a valley filled with bones. 2 He led me around among the old, dry bones that covered the valley floor. They were scattered everywhere across the ground. 3 Then he asked me, “Son of man, can these bones become living people again?” “O Sovereign LORD,” I replied, “you alone know the answer to that.” 4 Then he said to me, “Speak to these bones and say, ‘Dry bones, listen to the word of the LORD!
You see God tested the prophet by asking him a question about an impossible situation in the natural but Ezekiel answered the test question correctly. The Prophet prophesied in faith that Israel will live again. Ezekiel’s prophecy was fulfilled in 1948 when the world saw Israel become a living nation again and it will be their land forever.
What if Ezekiel would have been like Zacharias was with the angel that appeared to him in the Temple? The angel told him about his future son John the Baptist. Zacharias asked Gabriel how he would know that his wife Elizabeth was having a baby. He questioned Gabriel’s words from God by citing his old age and his wife’s barrenness. Zacharias was then not permitted to speak until his son was born and he didn’t speak until he confirmed his son’s name to be called John. We should note here that faith is expressed by our words.
A test from God will always challenge you to have faith and also challenge your natural thinking. If you want to pass God’s tests than keep in mind His good character, His power and remember that He always has the answer. Trust in His character, His power and His truth to pass any test that He challenges you with.
