The things you go through are not mere coincidences but signs that God is testing you. Throughout Biblical history, God tested different people in different ways. And, the people He tested were not the ones that disobeyed God. They were righteous people who wholeheartedly devoted themselves to God. To add on that, God loved them so much. He never left their side even in the midst of the tests. His own Son went through different tests and trials. But He overcame. Therefore, whenever you go through a season of testing, don’t think that God doesn’t love you anymore. God will test you before that major breakthrough in your life. He will test you before He open the windows of heaven to pour blessings in your life.
But what does it mean when God is testing you? And, how do you know you are being tested by God. Being tested by God means going through something that will make you better in the end if you overcome. God’s tests are always accompanied by great and powerful testimonies. They are never in vain, and they are never meant to destroy us. The signs below will make you know if God is testing you.
Challenges Are Signs That God Is Testing You
‘Why is God testing me so much?’ This is a common question that most of us ask when we go through challenges in our lives. Little do we know that the greater the test, the great the blessing in the end. Remember that God cannot test you beyond what you can bear. He knows your strengths and your weakest point. God allows the test to come your way because He knows you can handle it and come out victorious. You are more than a conqueror through Christ, and you have the strength to overcome any challenge that comes your way.
With what attitude do you handle the challenges in your life? Do you still glorify God and give honor to His name amid your challenges? Learn to face challenges with a positive attitude because they are signs that God uses to test you.
God Tests You Through Sicknesses and Illnesses
The story of Job is one of the most common scenarios that show how God can use sickness to test us. You may experience a certain illness that doesn’t seem to go away. Such illnesses don’t respond to treatment and medicines. This may leave you feeling anxious and hopeless. Job went through the same experience. He endured the pain from the sores and still remained faithful to God.
Can you still declare your faith even in the face of recurrent sickness? Will you still confess that Jesus is Lord on the throne even when your body is weak and in pain? Jesus told His disciples that through sickness, God’s glory is revealed. When you hold on to your faith in God, you will experience His glory in your sickness. Therefore, even in moments of sickness, stay true to God. Sicknesses, disease outbreaks and illnesses are signs that God is testing you.
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. However, do you know that God can withhold His blessings? He can make you go through a season of lack to test your trust in Him and His provision. After all, how can you know that God provides if you don’t know what lack is? Will you still believe that the storehouse of God is rich with every good thing amid your lack? Can you hope that God will provide even when you don’t seem to see any sign of His provision? When you go through a season of lack, have faith in the promises of God to provide for you.
In 2 Corinthians 9:8 (NKJV), the Bible says, “And God is able to make all grace abound toward you. That you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work.”
God will make sure that you have sufficiency in all things. He will give you the grace to hold on and press forward until the time of His provision.
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.”
Everything that we receive from God must bring back glory and honor to Him. Our blessings must bless others too and further the kingdom of God. He may release abundant blessing in our lives to test if we can use them for the glory of His kingdom. God did this to the rich fool in Luke 12:16-21. He blessed him with a rich harvest, but the rich fool chose a path that is not right. How many times do we share our blessings with others? In what ways do we use the blessings we receive from God to enhance His kingdom? Be in the know that God can bless you to test you.
When You Experience Delays
I know of a lady who took so long to conceive after getting married to the love of her life. All the check-ups showed she was okay and had no complications. I love the way she chose to handle this. She chose to handle it the ‘Hannah way.’ This lady devoted herself to prayer and fasting. Like Hannah, she still believed that God was able to give her a child of her own. Nothing shook her faith and hope in God. Eventually, she conceived and bore a healthy child in God’s time. Delays may happen in different aspects of life. You may delay to get a job, a promotion, a marriage partner, and many other things. These delays do not mean that we are sinners. They are ways that God uses to test our patience and our hope in Him.
James 1:2-4 (NKJV) – “My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.”
When you exercise patience, you will lack nothing in the end. God will meet your heart desires in a powerful way. When you experience delays in anything, just know they are signs that God is testing you.
Trial of Faith Show That God Is Testing You
As a faithful follower of Christ, you 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 fire that burns your heart. Abraham went through such tests. And, he proved to God that his faith in Him was genuine. It was a faith that stood the test of fire. Likewise, God tests your faith in Him, and He expects you to prove to Him that your faith is real.
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, loss 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?
Job lost almost everything he had. The Bible in Job 1:13-20 (NKJV, explains how Job lost his children and his property. You can imagine how painful this was to Job. However, Job stood the test of God. He still worshipped God and remained faithful to Him amid all that. How many of us can do the same?
Can we bow down to honor and worship God even after losing what we loved most? He is the one who gives, and He is still the one who takes away. You need to worship Him when He gives and when He takes away too. The good thing about such tests is that when you overcome, God will restore to you all you have lost and even more. So, when you lose anything, remember to behave the way Job behaved. Loss is one of the many signs that God is testing you.
When You Face Temptations/Tests of Integrity
Can you still choose what is right even when there is no one watching? Many Christians fail this test because they think that God does not see in secret. How is your character when you are in a private place? Temptations that come in our lives mostly come to test our integrity. Joseph faced a temptation that tested His integrity.
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 to God. Even when no one is watching you, do not sin. In every temptation, God provides a way of escape but it is up to you to choose what is right. Whenever you face temptations, know that they are signs that God is testing you.
When God Tests You to Sacrifice Something
When we talk about a sacrifice, many think that it is human sacrifice. No, a sacrifice can be anything dear to you or what you love doing. You can sacrifice your time, leisure activity, or anything else that matters most to you. In the case of Abraham, God asked him to sacrifice his son, Isaac. But how does God test people to sacrifice today? 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 to Him or for Him.
What if your church minister called for a Bible study service at a time you had planned for a leisure activity? Will you let go of the leisure activity and give your time to God? What if your prayer partner called you for a prayer session at the exact time your favorite soap starts? Will you go for prayers or will you choose to watch your favorite soap? God tests you in such ways to see if you love Him too much to sacrifice something for His sake. How many times have you failed this test? When you feel like you have to sacrifice something for God, know that it is one of the signs God is testing you.
Conflicts in Your Relationship
How does God test your relationship? He tests your relationship through the conflicts and wrangles that arise. Can the two of you do what the word of God says when your relationship is not okay? What does the Bible say about forgiveness? Do you know what scriptures say about relationships and love? God may test your relationship to see if it can stand storms in future. He tests your relationship to see if you can do what the Bible says you should do in case conflicts arise.
Conclusion
The signs that God is testing us remind us that all of us must go through test in a way or another. We must draw closer to God during the times of our testing and put our faith in Him. No situation is permanent, and the tests will not last forever. If we stick to God, we shall overcome and come out with countless testimonies.
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