Fancie clutched the steering wheel, knuckles white. Rain lashed against the windshield, blurring the road ahead. Her car sputtered and coughed, threatening to stall on this deserted highway.
Just that morning, she’d confidently set out for her dream job interview. Now, stranded and questioning everything, a single thought echoed in her mind:
“Is this a test from God?”
Challenges are inevitable in life, but sometimes they hit us with the force of a hurricane.
Doubt creeps in, and we wonder if these struggles are simply life’s hardships or something more – a test from God. Have you ever felt this way?
In this blog post, I’ll use Fancie’s story, and many others, to explore the signs that God might be testing you.
I’ll delve into the Bible, where countless figures faced God’s tests, and uncover valuable lessons you can apply to your own challenges.
By understanding the purpose behind these tests, you can not only overcome them but also grow closer to God and step into the amazing future He has planned for you.
So, take a deep breath, and let’s embark on this journey together.
9 Signs God is Testing You
“2 Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3 because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.”
James 1:2 (NIV)
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Here are 9 signs that the difficulties you face may be a test from God:
1. The test comes before a new season or blessing
In the Bible, we often see God testing someone right before elevating them.
He tested Joseph before making him second-in-command over Egypt. Jesus was tested in the wilderness before starting his earthly ministry.
“Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.”
Matthew 4:1 (NIV)
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Likewise, God will often test you before promoting you to a new level spiritually. Passing the test prepares you for what’s coming next.
So if you’ve been seeking God for a breakthrough or promotion, expect to be tested right before God grants your request.
2. The test requires deep faith and obedience
A test from God will likely require you to obey in faith even when His instructions don’t make sense. The test reveals whether you love God and will do what God says just because He said so.
For example, God tested Abraham by telling him to sacrifice his son Isaac. This didn’t align with God’s promises or character, yet Abraham obeyed. His radical obedience demonstrated tremendous faith.
“By faith Abraham, when God tested him, offered Isaac as a sacrifice. He who had embraced the promises was about to sacrifice his one and only son.”
Hebrews 11:17 (NIV)
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Similarly, God may lead you to do things that seem illogical to build your trust in Him. Taking action expresses faith that God knows what He’s doing.
3. The test detaches you from emotions/experiences
While experiences with God are wonderful, tests teach you to walk with Him even when you don’t “feel” Him. During a test, you may feel like God is a million miles away when He’s right by your side.
God wants you to grow beyond the need for an emotional experience to sustain your faith. He wants you to develop spiritual maturity by trusting His Word over your feelings.
So God may remove supernatural experiences so you don’t depend on them so that you can learn to walk by faith.
4. The test purifies your motives and draws you closer to God
Like fire purifies gold, God uses tests to refine your heart and purify your motives. Tests reveal things like selfish ambition, pride, and jealousy buried within you. They show where you truly place your identity and worth.
When you feel distant from God during a test, recognize this is God’s loving invitation to seek Him more passionately.
Your hunger for God will increase. You’ll shed impure motives as you cultivate intimacy with Him.
5. The test examines your perseverance and endurance
Passing a test often requires persevering through difficulties for an extended time. It examines your ability to stand under pressure and remain faithful when you feel like quitting.
Enduring hardship also develops spiritual muscle. Your faith grows stronger as you rely fully on God through trials and tribulations. His power is made perfect in weakness.
“But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.”
2 Corinthians 12:9 (ESV)
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So if your situation seems unending, ask God to reveal what He wants to produce in you through this test of perseverance.
6. The test prepares you for greater responsibility
Like a promotion at a job, God will test you before increasing your spiritual authority and responsibilities. Passing the test will prove you’re ready for more.
2 So they quarreled with Moses and said, “Give us water to drink.” Moses replied, “Why do you quarrel with me? Why do you put the Lord to the test?” 3 But the people were thirsty for water there, and they grumbled against Moses. They said, “Why did you bring us up out of Egypt to make us and our children and livestock die of thirst?”
4 Then Moses cried out to the Lord, “What am I to do with these people? They are almost ready to stone me.”Exodus 17:2-4 (NIV)
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Every time God called Moses to a greater duty, He tested him first. God will test your character and commitment before entrusting you with more.
So embrace tests as preparation for advancement. Allow them to refine you into a trustworthy steward of God’s blessings.
7. The test causes you to passionately seek God
When you feel distant from God, a natural response is to pursue Him more fervently in prayer, worship, and Bible study. Cling tight to Him, realizing nothing else satisfies.
Thus, one purpose of testing is to create a deeper hunger for God in your life. And as you seek Him wholeheartedly, you will find Him.
He has promised to draw near to you as you draw near to Him.
“Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.”
James 4:8 (ESV)
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8. The test reveals jealousy and envy in your heart
Often your response to others’ blessings reveals what’s inside you. When someone else receives what you’ve been desiring, do you celebrate with them or feel envious?
God will test you by blessing the people around you first. How you react will expose whether jealousy and comparison have a foothold in your heart.
Learn to bless those whom God blesses.
9. The test requires bold faith to step out of your comfort zone
Stepping into God’s calling often requires taking brave steps of faith that move you out of your comfort zone. God will test your willingness to follow His lead into the unknown.
Your test may involve leaving home, starting a ministry, pioneering a new career, or sharing your faith.
These acts require bold faith. As you pass the tests, God will give you breakthroughs.
6 Ways to Respond to God’s Tests
When you find yourself being tested by God, here are some tips on how to respond:
- Maintain the right perspective:- Remember that God is testing you for your benefit, to refine and prepare you for spiritual promotion.
- Seek to glorify God: Ask God to give you a heart to glorify Him with your attitude and obedience throughout the test.
- Remain close to God: Keep seeking God’s face through prayer, worship, and Bible study. Don’t isolate yourself.
- Look for what God wants to teach you: Ask God to show you what He wants you to learn or develop through this test.
- Stand firm in God’s Word: Combat doubt and discouragement with scripture. God’s Word is a sure anchor during storms.
- Trust God’s timing and process: Believe that God is sovereign over your life and circumstances. He promises to work out all things for your good (Romans 8:28).
Examples of God Testing People in the Bible
Let’s look at some biblical examples to give you a better perspective on why God tests us.
Let’s examine a few key stories:
- Abraham: God tested Abraham by telling him to sacrifice his son Isaac – the son God had miraculously given him through Sarah in their old age.
This excruciating test revealed Abraham’s willingness to surrender everything to God. God then prevented the sacrifice and blessed Abraham greatly for his faithfulness.
- Joseph: Joseph faced several tests: being sold into slavery by his brothers, being falsely accused by Potiphar’s wife, and being forgotten in prison.
Each test refined Joseph’s character before God elevated him to a high position in Egypt and he saved many through famine relief.
- Job: God allowed everything to be stripped from Job: his health, wealth, and family. Yet Job still chose to trust and worship God through horrific suffering.
This test of faith brought Job to a deeper understanding of God’s sovereignty.
- Jesus: Before starting His earthly ministry, Jesus was tested by Satan in the wilderness. He was tempted to misuse His divine power and compromise allegiance to God.
Jesus passed the tests and gained victory over temptation.
- Paul: God’s messenger Ananias told Paul he would face severe persecution for following Christ.
Paul embraced many beatings, stonings, imprisonment, and shipwrecks to spread the Gospel. His willingness to suffer greatly glorified God.
In each example, God used intense testing to refine their character and prove their faithfulness. Then He brought each person into greater blessing and responsibility.
Key Takeaways on God Testing You
- God will often test you before promoting you spiritually or bringing a breakthrough. Passing the test prepares you for what’s coming next.
- Tests require radical obedience and faith to follow God even when it feels illogical or uncomfortable.
- Tests reveal where your identity, security, and satisfaction truly come from. They expose impure motives in your heart.
- When you feel distant from God during trials seek Him more passionately and develop a deeper intimacy with Him.
- Standing firm when you feel like quitting builds spiritual muscle. God develops perseverance and endurance through testing.
- Testing prepares you for greater responsibility and blessings. God wants to know He can trust you before entrusting you with more.
- Respond to tests by maintaining the right perspective, seeking to glorify God, trusting His process, and searching for what He wants to teach you.
Conclusion
If you find yourself in a period of intense hardship, God may be testing you for greater things ahead. Examine your heart and draw close to Him.
Trust God as He prepares you for spiritual promotion as you keep your eyes fixed on Him.
God promises to be with you in every trial and provide the grace to endure. His power is made perfect in weakness.
As you surrender to the test and call upon the Lord for help, He will bring you forth as gold – ready to receive all He has prepared for you!
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. How long will God’s tests last?
A. God’s timing is sovereign. Some tests are short while some last many years. Focus on passing the test rather than when it will end.
Q. Why does God test us if He already knows what’s in our hearts?
A. While God knows all things, testing provides an opportunity for us to mature by revealing our weaknesses and overcoming them through faith in God.
Q. Is it ever God’s will for me to fail a test?
A. God may allow you to fail a test to teach you lessons in humility and dependence on Him. But He provides the grace for you to eventually pass the tests He appoints.
Q. Are all difficulties a test from God?
A. Not all difficulties are tests from God. Some are simply consequences of sin or living in a fallen world. Discern God’s voice through prayer when navigating hard circumstances.
Q. Why does God test people differently?
A. God tailors tests to each person’s weaknesses and what He wants to strengthen in them. Our individual journeys are all unique. Comparison distracts from fully embracing what God is doing in your life.
