Key scripture- “You should greatly rejoice in what is waiting for you, even if now for a little while you have to suffer various trials. Suffering tests your faith which is more valuable than gold, remember that gold, although it is perishable, is tested by fire so that if it is found genuine, you can receive praise, honor, and glory when Jesus the Anointed, our Liberating King, is revealed at last” (1 Peter 1:6-7 VOICE)

While you are going through a difficult time have you ever thought: Since God already knows the state of my heart, why does He test it? Since He already knows the measure of my faith, why test it?

The Lord tests your heart thru trials to show how strong your relationship with Him is. He tests your relationship with Him because He wants YOU to know how strong it is, and He also wants others to know how much you trust and love Him. Nobody likes to go through these tests, but look at the result if you stay close to God through the test, you will receive “praise and glory and honor Jesus the Anointed, our Liberating King, is revealed at last.”

The old English word for test was “to prove”. In our context it does not mean provoking someone to commit an evil or to sin. Indeed,James 1:13 states, “God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone.” God brings us into circumstances of special testing “trials”, not for the purpose of supplying information for Himself, but in order to manifest to us and to others the dispositions of our hearts. The trials we go through are intended to strengthen us and to build us up.

Your Christianity totally depends on your faith, and if your faith is weak, then nothing else is spiritually good in you, but if your faith is strong then all the rest will stand firm. Your faith is tried so that you may have the comfort of it, God the glory of it, and others the benefit of it, because whenever your faith is tried; it is established, improved and multiplied by the opposition that you face. The trials show you whether you will love, reverently fear, obey, worship and serve God, and that is why a tried faith is much more precious than tried gold.

If you are going through some struggles and some times of testing right now, God wants you to remember that it is not just your endurance that is being tested, it is your relationship with Him, to see if you will trust and love Him, and not turn away from Him, especially when life is not easy. The trial will prove the value and strength of your faith.

God also wants you to know that the testing is only for a season, it will not last forever, that is why it says in the Key scripture “for a little while”.

I want you to remember, the trial you are in will soon be over, but the praise, honor, and glory will last through eternity.

Pray this – Our Precious Heavenly Father, I know that my faith is everything and that is why it says in Hebrews 11:6 it says that “without faith no one can please God because the one coming to God must believe that He exists.” I know that everything hinges on my faith, because when my faith was not strong I lived in doubt and fear always wondering if what You said in Your Word applied to me. But I don’t live in doubt and fear anymore, because I have been tested and tried, and even though my trials were hard, I never let go of You and You never let go of me. I praise You for each and every one of my trials, because I have come forth from them like gold and that is why I can proclaim that I know, that I know, that I know, that I know: that Your Promises are all true, absolutely each and every one of them, and I can put all my weight on them; I know that the Power of Jesus lives in me; I know that because of Jesus I live in victory not defeat; I know that You will always be there for me; I know that you will never ever leave me; I know that You never lie, I know that You love me even when I mess up; I know that You are good; I know that I will always see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living; I know that You are always faithful; I know that Your mercy and loving kindness chase after me; I know that You cover me with Your Grace; I know that no weapon formed against me will prosper, and every tongue that confess judgment against me I will prove to be wrong; I know that Your plans for me are for good not evil and for a future and a hope. Father, thank You for testing my heart. Thank You Jesus for going through the fire with me and bringing me out safely on the other side, and using the fiery trials to strengthen my faith. In Jesus’ Name I Pray, Amen.