Throughout Biblical history, God tested different people in different ways. And the people He tested were not the ones that didn’t know Him. They were righteous people who wholeheartedly devoted themselves to God. Moreover, God loved them so much. His own Son went through different tests and trials. But He overcame. In this article, I want to touch on a few things about the signs that God is testing you.
The signs below will let you know if God is testing you.
Challenges
The Bible says that God cannot test you beyond what you can bear. He knows your strengths and your weakest points. God allows the test to come your way because He knows you can handle it and come out victorious. Why does He use challenges to test you? He allows challenges to come your way to deepen your faith in Him and refine you. So, keep in mind that not every challenge is the work of the evil one; some challenges are signs that God is trying to test your faith.
The story of Job is one of the most common scenarios that show how God can use challenges to test us. You may experience loss or a certain illness that doesn’t seem to go away. Such diseases don’t respond to treatment and medicines. This may leave you feeling anxious and hopeless. Job went through the same experience. He endured pain from the sores and remained faithful to God.
Can you still declare your faith in God even in the face of recurring sickness? Will you still confess that Jesus is Lord on the throne even when your body is weak and in pain?
God Uses Lack to Test You
God is the source of all provision. He meets the needs of His children according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus. When we ask Him for anything, He grants it to us in His right time and according to His will. However, do you know that God can withhold His blessings from us to test us? He can make you go through a season of lack to test your trust in His provision. God may withhold His provision to test if you can still devote yourself to Him.
Overflowing Blessings Are Also Signs That God Is Testing You
Luke 12:16-21 (NKJV) – “Then He spoke a parable to them, saying: “The ground of a certain rich man yielded plentifully. And he thought within himself, saying, ‘What shall I do, since I have no room to store my crops?’ So he said, ‘I will do this: I will pull down my barns and build greater, and there I will store all my crops and my goods. And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years; take your ease; eat, drink, and be merry.” But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul will be required of you. Then whose will those things be which you have provided?’ “So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.”
Every blessing must bring back glory and honor to God. God may release abundant blessings upon us to test if we can use them for the glory of His kingdom. He tested the rich fool in Luke 12:16-21; He blessed him with a rich harvest, but he chose a path that wasn’t right. We God blesses you, do you share your blessings with others? In what ways do you use the blessings you receive from God to enhance His kingdom? Be very careful how you use the good things you receive from above; some have been poured out into your life to test you.
Trial of Faith Show That God Is Testing You
As a follower of Christ, your faith must be tested. If you haven’t yet gone through a test of faith, it is on its way. However, this should not scare you because the testing of your faith is only meant to produce steadfastness.
1 Peter 1:6-7 (NKJV) – “In this you greatly rejoice. Though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials. That the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ.”
God tests the genuineness of your faith in different ways. He tests it with trials that may seem like a fire that burns your heart. Abraham, Joseph, Job, and many others went through such tests. But they proved that their faith in God was genuine. Their faith stood the test of fire. Can your faith stand the test of fire? When your faith is shaken by storms and different adversities of life, this could just be one of the signs that God is testing you.
When You Experience Loss
Loss may come your way in different ways. It may happen through the loss of a loved one, the loss of a job, the loss of a relationship, or the loss of your property. Whatever form it comes in, it is always painful, heartbreaking, and sad. No one ever wishes to lose what they treasure most. But do you know that God can use this heartbreaking experience to test you?
Can you bow down to honor and worship God even after losing what you love most? He is the one who gives and He is still the one who takes away. You need to worship Him not only when He gives but also when He takes away. The good thing about such tests is that when you overcome, God restores everything you lost and even more. Loss is one of the many signs that God is testing you.
When You Face Temptations/Tests of Integrity
Can you still do the right thing even when no one is watching? How is your character when you are alone; when your pastor, parent, teacher, or boss is not around? Most sins are done in private. Joseph faced a temptation that tested His integrity. His master, Potiphar, had warned him against having any intimate relationship with his wife. Yet, the same wife wanted Joseph to get intimate with her.
Genesis 39:11-12 (NKJV) – “But it happened about this time, when Joseph went into the house to do his work. And none of the men of the house was inside, that she caught him by his garment, saying, “Lie with me.” But he left his garment in her hand, and fled and ran outside.”
The men of the house were not around to watch if Joseph would mess with Potiphar’s wife or not. But He knew that God was watching him. He ran away from the temptation and proved his integrity. What does this teach us? Even when no one is watching you, do not sin. In every temptation, God always provides a way of escape. It is up to you to choose whether to stay and sin or use the way of escape and uphold your integrity. Whenever you face temptations that require you to uphold your integrity, know that God is testing you.
When God Tests You to Sacrifice Something
When we talk about a sacrifice, many think that it must be human sacrifice. No, a sacrifice can be anything dear to you, what you love doing, or anything that costs you. You can sacrifice your time, property, or anything else that matters a lot to you. In the case of Abraham, God asked him to sacrifice his son, Isaac. A test of sacrifice is meant to prove your unconditional love for God. He uses this test to know if you can give up what you love for the sake of your relationship with Him. Abraham was willing to sacrifice Isaac to prove His obedience and devotion to God.
If your Bible study leader called you for a Bible study session at the exact time your favorite soap starts, would you go? God tests you in such ways to see if you love Him too much to sacrifice something for the sake of His kingdom. How many times have you failed this test?
