Why Does God Test and Try Us?

Have you ever wondered why good things happen to bad people and bad things happen to good people? It’s a question that has puzzled minds for ages. To shed some light on this, let’s embark on a journey through life’s tests and trials with a dash of humour. 🚀

Pressure Produces Enlargement 📖

Ever heard the saying, “What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger”? Well, King David probably coined that phrase. After the infamous “Bathsheba affair,” God didn’t exactly send him a congratulatory cake. Instead, he experienced severe judgments, including his son Absalom staging a rebellion.

David’s life was essentially a Netflix drama, complete with exile, hardship, and indignity. But here’s the twist: all this pressure actually enlarged him. It’s like God saying, “David, you messed up big time, but I’m going to use these hardships to make you a better leader” [2 Samuel 12:10-12]. 🍰

So, the next time life throws you a curveball, remember, it might just be God’s way of stretching and enlarging you. 🌟

Trials Prove and Humble Us 💭

God has a knack for wanting to know if we love Him for who He is or just for the blessings He gives us. It’s like when you’re popular because you bring snacks to the party, not because you’re fun to be around.

In the wilderness, God tested the Israelites big time: fiery serpents, scorpions, drought, and no water. He even brought water out of a rock! Why? To humble them and see if they’d stick around for the “latter end” [Deuteronomy 8:2-3].

Now, you might wonder, why the tough tests? Well, God doesn’t want us to think it’s our genius or gifts that bring blessings. He wants us to recognise His hand in it all. So, when He blesses us, we know it’s because of His grace, not our brilliance.

In Job’s case, Satan challenged God by saying, “Job only loves You because You’ve blessed him.” So God allowed Satan to take it all away. Job lost everything but still worshipped God. He proved Satan wrong, and in the end, God gave him double what he had before [Job 1:8, 2:7-10, 42:10-17]. 🏜️

So, the next time you face hardships and think, “Why me?” remember that it could be a test of your character and a chance for God’s power to shine through your weakness. 🌦️

Suffering Can Increase God’s Power in Us 💪

If you ask for God’s power, you better be ready for the fine print – it often involves being reduced to weakness and taking the suffering, tests, and trials that come with it. It’s like asking for a superhero suit but having to go through superhero training first.

Take Paul, for example. He had some pretty amazing spiritual experiences, but God sent a “messenger from Satan” to keep his pride in check. Instead of removing the thorn in his side, God said, “My grace is all you need. My power shows up best in weak people” [2 Corinthians 12:7-9].

So, when you pray for patience, God might send tribulations because, well, “tribulation develops patience” (Romans 5:3). In the end, suffering can lead to God’s power being manifest in your life. 🦸

Affliction Separates the Chosen from the Called 🎓

You know how school tests determine if you move on to the next grade? Well, in the school of life, God uses affliction to grade us. He observes how we respond to hardships and heavy pressure.

And when we respond well, He says, “You’ve passed the test; you’re ready for the next level.” It’s like upgrading from basic math to advanced calculus because you aced your math exam.

Not everyone makes it to the next level. “Many are called, but few are chosen.” Why? Because not everyone passes the tests. Those who do are the ones who prove themselves faithful, even in the face of suffering and trials [Matthew 22:14]. 🎓💪

So, the next time you’re in the midst of a trial, remember, that you’re being graded for the next level of blessing and service. It’s like life’s way of telling you, “Congratulations, you’re moving on to bigger and better things.” 🚀

Suffering Teaches Obedience 📖

Ever notice that even Jesus, the son of God, learned obedience through suffering? It’s like God’s way of saying, “If my own kid had to go through some rough patches, well, buckle up, buttercup!”

You see, if God loves you, He’s not afraid to discipline you. He’ll even give you a loving spank on the behind when you need it. After all, as Hebrews puts it, “if you’re without chastisement… then you’re bastards, not sons” [Hebrews 12:6, 12:8].

So, next time you face some trials, remember it’s all part of the obedience school of life. Because when your body suffers, sin loses its power, and you suddenly have this strange urge to do the will of God, not just chase after those pesky evil desires.

But hey, don’t make me hear about you suffering for murder, theft, or poking your nose into other people’s business. If you’re suffering for the right reasons, though, keep doing what’s right, and trust God, because He never fails to bring you a great twist in the plot [1 Peter 4:1, 4:15, 4:19]. 🤷‍♂️

Trials Produce Perseverance and Maturity 🎓

You know how some people are escape artists when it comes to trials? It’s like the moment they see trouble, they pull a Houdini act. Well, James, in the Bible, suggests we should do the opposite – joyfully embrace trials. Yeah, I know, it sounds crazy. It’s like trying to find joy in a mosquito bite. But here’s the thing, it’s all part of the master plan.

James explains that “perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature… not lacking anything.” It’s like we’re all in the school of life, and these trials are those tough exams that make you wish you were back in kindergarten.

Now, picture this: life’s trials are like a cocoon, and we’re the little caterpillars inside. We can’t just rush through it. If we cut open the cocoon prematurely, we’ll never be ready to face the world as a mature butterfly. So when life gives you a cocoon of trials, embrace it, endure it, and let it transform you into the beautiful butterfly you’re meant to be [James 1:2-4]. 🦋

Trouble Tests Our Faith in God’s Word ✨

Finally, every word of God is like silver tested in a furnace. Just think of it as a grand cosmic experiment. The word of God to Joseph, for example, was to be a ruler, and boy, did he go through the wringer. He spent a good chunk of his life in an Egyptian prison, having been wrongly accused.

So, what does this teach us? Well, if you’re going through a rough patch despite hearing God’s word, you’re not alone. Remember Noah, who had to build an ark while his neighbors teased him? Or Abraham, who was promised to be an “exalted father” but had no kids? Even Moses, who was meant to deliver his people got the boot to the desert for forty years.

These folks embraced a vision and endured the tests and trials, which can seem like an emotional roller coaster. But in the end, their faith in God’s word triumphed. So, if you’re going through a rough patch, remember that every word of God is tested. It might be a cosmic experiment, but your faith is the shining result.

As Paul once said, even when you’re too weak to have any faith left, God remains faithful to you. So, let’s not give up when we suffer; let’s continue to embrace the comedy of life’s lessons. Who knows what plot twist God has in store for us next? 🎥🍿