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Have you ever wondered why God tests us? Hebrews 12:10 gives us the answer: “Our fathers disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, in order that we may share in his holiness.” He tests us for our good, our benefit. I want you to hear those words today, especially those who are right now in the middle of a tough test and you can’t see the light. Remember and believe this with all your heart: God is doing this for your good, so that you can share in his holiness.
Can you just for a minute look beyond the pain and the problem, and picture yourself being given a piece of God’s holiness? Can you see God’s face smiling at you and saying, “Don’t fail my test, because I want to give you something very special”? How awesome to think that you and I can share in his holiness. And the writer to the Hebrews goes on to tell us that testing produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.
Job said, “I will come forth as gold (Job 23:10b).” In the midst of a terrible test, Job was able to look beyond it and see the end result. Can you do that today? I know it’s hard, but God wants to encourage you with the assurance that you’re going to know righteousness and peace in your life if you will allow this test to train you.
The sad thing is, many of us don’t pass our tests because we rebel or run away or try to manipulate the situation, instead of accepting it from God’s hand and asking him to use it for his good purposes. If you’re going to go through the pain, you might as well know the gain.
And the gain is glorious – a share of God’s holiness, righteousness and peace. That means you become more like Jesus. Just think what a difference that will make in your life. And peace—that glorious peace that passes understanding is yours when you pass God’s test.