Memo Topic #5: One who understands the ways of God in testing and shaping His people

One of the aspects of God’s character that many of us tend to shy away from is His testing, and the sometimes painful shaping processes which He uses to build us into His people. As we are preparing to be used of God globally, this is an area that we must learn to understand and embrace fully. The kinds of experiences that you will face in various parts of the world will demand that you understand how God works in testing. He has many ways that He shapes us and one of the primary ways is through tests. I want to share some of the ones the Bible highlights. If we are to effectively navigate through the times of testing and shaping that God brings, we need to be able to recognize them and then embrace them.

 John 15:2 reads, “Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit, He prunes, that it may bear more fruit.”

God’s pruning can often be equated with His testing. It is as we are bearing fruit that His pruning hand appears. It is not for those who have sinned or who are walking in compromising situations. It is for those who are walking faithfully with God and are seeking Him and seeing fruit in their own lives (the fruit of the Spirit inwardly) as well as other people’s lives as a result of their faithfulness. Pruning or testing is painful. When a branch is pruned, it is cut. Cutting is not a pleasant thing!

The first idea to consider is that God Himself brings the testing. Though many of us are not aware it is Him, it is. The enemy (Satan) is the one who tempts us. God will never tempt us, but He will often test us. Why does He do this? God is supremely interested into continually conforming us into the image of His Son, Jesus. He will test our hearts, our wills, our minds, our obedience, our faithfulness, and many other areas. These tests are not for Him - He already knows us inside and out. The tests are for us. They show us where we really are, and as we respond correctly to them, open up the way for increased growth in the area tested. Many times we may be tempted to think we are farther along in our “faith” then we really are. Look for the testing of God in those times to show you what God sees.

Throughout the Bible we find two patterns in the lives of those who are tested. Either they responded positively to testing or negatively. In this process, a test emerges surrounding something related to a person’s character. If they fail to perceive the incident as being from God, or if they deliberately choose to go against inner convictions, then God will bring the same test later and meanwhile the person’s growth is restricted. With a positive response, however, the incident is recognized as being from God, and the person chooses to stand on inner convictions. This brings forth an expansion in the person’s life in which God blesses the positive response by confirming the inner conviction.  

Most of us are in the early stages of life and ministry. There are several forms of testing that God will bring to us in this stage. He will test our integrity. Are we consistent with our inner beliefs and our outer practice and expression? He will test our obedience. Will we be obedient to God even in tough situations? He will test our ability to hear His voice, either through the Bible or by His Spirit in our inner man. He will test our faithfulness with various ministry tasks to prepare us for bigger things. He will test our ability to receive and adhere to His guidance concerning engaging in His will for our lives. He will test our ability to submit to people who have authority over us.

God desires that we allow Him to test us and refine us so that we can come into the fullness of His plans for us. If we resist His tests or fail them, He knows that it will take us longer to come into these things. How do we respond to the wilderness times in our lives? God is in all of these, prodding, beckoning, calling us into a higher realm of following after Him and usefulness in His hands. He has a specific purpose for every test He brings. Our role is to seek Him and discern, by the Spirit, what it is that He is trying to teach us, and to learn the lesson.

 Prayer:

“Jesus, I want to pass all the tests that you bring my way. I know that I have missed many of them that you’ve already brought my way because I didn’t see them as coming from you. Help me to discern when you are testing me. Give me the ability to see you in daily circumstances as you test my heart, will, mind, etc and choose to walk above reproach and with integrity and to grow in you and as a witness for you. I know these testings are often painful, but I look to you to receive the grace to walk without compromise concerning every test and to do whatever it takes to walk upright in you concerning them. I choose to respond positively to every one. Help me to do so!”

Together for the Nations,

Ryan