“The crucible is for silver, and the furnace is for gold, and the Lord tests hearts.” (Proverbs 17:3)
“In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honour at the revelation of Jesus Christ.” (1 Peter 1:6-7)
The Lord tests your heart to show how strong your relationship with him is!
Think about it for a minute—God already knows the state of your heart, so why does he test it? He already knows the measure of your faith, so why test it?
He tests your relationship with him because he wants YOU to know how strong it is, and because he wants others to know how much you trust and love him. Nobody likes to go through these tests, but notice the result if you stay close to God through the test—“praise and glory and honour at the revelation of Jesus Christ”.
If you are going through some struggles and some times of testing this week, God wants you to remember that it is not just your endurance that is being tested, it is your relationship with him. Will you trust and love him even when life is not easy?
For the iPhone app and more from John North and Ambassadors For Christ International, click here.