When Your Faith Is Tested: What the Fire Reveals

When Your Faith Is Tested: What the Fire Reveals

The Puritans understood something about faith that I believe much of the modern Church has forgotten: assurance often grows through testing.

It is one thing to say we trust God when the bills are paid, the family is healthy, the marriage is good, the business is prospering, and our prayers seem to be answered before we finish praying them.

But what happens when everything changes?

What happens when the prayer isn’t answered the way you expected? What happens when someone you trusted betrays you? What happens when the doctor’s report isn’t good? What happens when you’ve done everything you know to do and the situation still doesn’t change?

That is when faith is tested.

And testing reveals what is really in our hearts.

The Wilderness Reveals the Heart

Before Israel entered the Promised Land, God reminded them why He had allowed them to walk through the wilderness:

“Remember how the LORD your God led you all the way in the wilderness these forty years, to humble and test you in order to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep his commands.”

—Deuteronomy 8:2

Think about that.

God allowed them to experience the wilderness to reveal what was in their hearts.

The wilderness didn’t create their unbelief. It exposed it.

The wilderness didn’t create their complaining. It exposed it.

The wilderness didn’t create their idolatry, fear, rebellion, and self-centeredness.

The pressure simply brought to the surface what was already there.

And God still uses pressure that way today.

None of us in our right mind asks for heartache.

We don’t pray for betrayal.

We don’t ask God for disappointment, financial problems, sickness, rejection, setbacks, persecution, family problems, or sleepless nights.

But sooner or later, trials come.

Jesus never promised us a life without trouble. In fact, He told us exactly the opposite:

“In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

—John 16:33

The question isn’t whether we will face trials.

The question is what those trials will reveal about us.

You Don’t Know the Strength of Your Faith Until It Is Tested

Peter wrote:

“Though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold…may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.”

—1 Peter 1:6–7

I love that.

Peter says your faith is more valuable than gold.

But gold is refined by fire.

The impurities rise to the surface so they can be removed.

And sometimes God allows the heat to increase in our lives because there are things buried deep within our hearts that we cannot see while everything is comfortable.

Fear.

Pride.

Self-reliance.

Unforgiveness.

Bitterness.

Jealousy.

A need to control everything.

Maybe even an unspoken belief that God owes us something because we have served Him faithfully.

Then the fire comes.

Suddenly, things start rising to the surface.

And we discover there are areas of our hearts that still need to be surrendered to Jesus.

What Does Perseverance Look Like?

Perseverance doesn’t mean you never cry.

It doesn’t mean you never hurt.

It doesn’t mean you never ask, “Lord, why?”

And it certainly doesn’t mean pretending everything is wonderful when your heart is breaking.

Perseverance means you keep walking with Jesus while your heart is breaking.

It means you keep believing when you cannot see what God is doing.

It means you keep obeying when obedience costs you something.

It means you refuse to allow your circumstances to redefine the character of God.

It means you keep praying when heaven seems silent.

Sometimes perseverance looks incredibly spiritual.

Other times perseverance is simply getting out of bed in the morning and whispering:

“Jesus, I still trust You.”

That’s faith.

Hurting—and still praying.

Disappointed—and still worshiping.

Betrayed—and still forgiving.

Confused—and still obeying.

Waiting—and still believing.

Knocked down—and getting back up again.

Don’t Waste Your Wilderness

One of the greatest dangers during a trial is becoming bitter.

Bitterness will convince you that because someone hurt you, you have the right to remain angry.

Unforgiveness will tell you that holding onto the offense somehow makes the other person pay.

But bitterness doesn’t imprison the person who hurt you.

It imprisons you.

Trials can make us bitter, or they can make us better.

They can drive us away from God, or they can drive us deeper into Him.

That choice belongs to us.

When you are walking through the wilderness, ask God:

“Lord, what are You showing me about my heart?”

“Is there something I need to surrender?”

“Is there someone I need to forgive?”

“Is there an area where I have been trusting myself instead of trusting You?”

“Is there something You are trying to teach me that I could never learn in comfort?”

Don’t waste the wilderness.

Your Trial Has an Expiration Date

One of my favorite truths in Scripture is that the wilderness was never Israel’s destination.

There was a Promised Land on the other side.

The wilderness was a place they passed through.

David understood this when he wrote:

“Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me.”

—Psalm 23:4

Notice the word through.

You may be walking through something right now that you never imagined you would face.

But don’t build your house in the valley.

Keep walking.

Don’t allow today’s trial to convince you that tomorrow has been canceled.

God is still God.

His promises are still true.

His Word has not changed.

And He has not abandoned you.

Hold Onto Jesus

After all these years of walking with the Lord, I have learned something.

There are situations you simply cannot reason your way through.

There are betrayals you cannot understand.

There are questions that may never be answered on this side of eternity.

There are times when all you have left is Jesus.

And eventually you discover:

Jesus is enough.

When everything else is shaking, hold onto Him.

Hold onto His Word.

Hold onto His promises.

Hold onto what you know about His character when you cannot understand what He is doing.

And someday you may look back and realize something extraordinary.

You thought you were holding onto Jesus.

But all along…

Jesus was holding onto you.

The fire didn’t destroy you.

The wilderness didn’t bury you.

The storm didn’t have the final word.

Instead, something happened inside you.

Your roots went deeper.

Your spiritual discernment became sharper.

Your dependence upon God became greater.

Your faith became stronger.

And the things of this world became strangely less important compared with knowing Him.

That’s what the fire can produce.

So if you’re walking through a trial today, don’t give up.

Don’t turn back.

Don’t allow bitterness to take root.

Keep praying.

Keep forgiving.

Keep obeying.

Keep believing.

And above all—

keep your eyes on Jesus.

Because you don’t really know the strength of your faith when everything is going right.

You discover it when everything goes wrong—and you still choose Jesus

When Your Faith Is Tested: What the Fire Reveals

The Puritans understood something about faith that I believe much of the modern Church has forgotten: assurance often grows through testing.

It is one thing to say we trust God when the bills are paid, the family is healthy, the marriage is good, the business is prospering, and our prayers seem to be answered before we finish praying them.

But what happens when everything changes?

What happens when the prayer isn’t answered the way you expected? What happens when someone you trusted betrays you? What happens when the doctor’s report isn’t good? What happens when you’ve done everything you know to do and the situation still doesn’t change?

That is when faith is tested.

And testing reveals what is really in our hearts.

The Wilderness Reveals the Heart

Before Israel entered the Promised Land, God reminded them why He had allowed them to walk through the wilderness:

“Remember how the LORD your God led you all the way in the wilderness these forty years, to humble and test you in order to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep his commands.”

—Deuteronomy 8:2

Think about that.

God allowed them to experience the wilderness to reveal what was in their hearts.

The wilderness didn’t create their unbelief. It exposed it.

The wilderness didn’t create their complaining. It exposed it.

The wilderness didn’t create their idolatry, fear, rebellion, and self-centeredness.

The pressure simply brought to the surface what was already there.

And God still uses pressure that way today.

None of us in our right mind asks for heartache.

We don’t pray for betrayal.

We don’t ask God for disappointment, financial problems, sickness, rejection, setbacks, persecution, family problems, or sleepless nights.

But sooner or later, trials come.

Jesus never promised us a life without trouble. In fact, He told us exactly the opposite:

“In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

—John 16:33

The question isn’t whether we will face trials.

The question is what those trials will reveal about us.

You Don’t Know the Strength of Your Faith Until It Is Tested

Peter wrote:

“Though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold…may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.”

—1 Peter 1:6–7

I love that.

Peter says your faith is more valuable than gold.

But gold is refined by fire.

The impurities rise to the surface so they can be removed.

And sometimes God allows the heat to increase in our lives because there are things buried deep within our hearts that we cannot see while everything is comfortable.

Fear.

Pride.

Self-reliance.

Unforgiveness.

Bitterness.

Jealousy.

A need to control everything.

Maybe even an unspoken belief that God owes us something because we have served Him faithfully.

Then the fire comes.

Suddenly, things start rising to the surface.

And we discover there are areas of our hearts that still need to be surrendered to Jesus.

What Does Perseverance Look Like?

Perseverance doesn’t mean you never cry.

It doesn’t mean you never hurt.

It doesn’t mean you never ask, “Lord, why?”

And it certainly doesn’t mean pretending everything is wonderful when your heart is breaking.

Perseverance means you keep walking with Jesus while your heart is breaking.

It means you keep believing when you cannot see what God is doing.

It means you keep obeying when obedience costs you something.

It means you refuse to allow your circumstances to redefine the character of God.

It means you keep praying when heaven seems silent.

Sometimes perseverance looks incredibly spiritual.

Other times perseverance is simply getting out of bed in the morning and whispering:

“Jesus, I still trust You.”

That’s faith.

Hurting—and still praying.

Disappointed—and still worshiping.

Betrayed—and still forgiving.

Confused—and still obeying.

Waiting—and still believing.

Knocked down—and getting back up again.

Don’t Waste Your Wilderness

One of the greatest dangers during a trial is becoming bitter.

Bitterness will convince you that because someone hurt you, you have the right to remain angry.

Unforgiveness will tell you that holding onto the offense somehow makes the other person pay.

But bitterness doesn’t imprison the person who hurt you.

It imprisons you.

Trials can make us bitter, or they can make us better.

They can drive us away from God, or they can drive us deeper into Him.

That choice belongs to us.

When you are walking through the wilderness, ask God:

“Lord, what are You showing me about my heart?”

“Is there something I need to surrender?”

“Is there someone I need to forgive?”

“Is there an area where I have been trusting myself instead of trusting You?”

“Is there something You are trying to teach me that I could never learn in comfort?”

Don’t waste the wilderness.

Your Trial Has an Expiration Date

One of my favorite truths in Scripture is that the wilderness was never Israel’s destination.

There was a Promised Land on the other side.

The wilderness was a place they passed through.

David understood this when he wrote:

“Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me.”

—Psalm 23:4

Notice the word through.

You may be walking through something right now that you never imagined you would face.

But don’t build your house in the valley.

Keep walking.

Don’t allow today’s trial to convince you that tomorrow has been canceled.

God is still God.

His promises are still true.

His Word has not changed.

And He has not abandoned you.

Hold Onto Jesus

After all these years of walking with the Lord, I have learned something.

There are situations you simply cannot reason your way through.

There are betrayals you cannot understand.

There are questions that may never be answered on this side of eternity.

There are times when all you have left is Jesus.

And eventually you discover:

Jesus is enough.

When everything else is shaking, hold onto Him.

Hold onto His Word.

Hold onto His promises.

Hold onto what you know about His character when you cannot understand what He is doing.

And someday you may look back and realize something extraordinary.

You thought you were holding onto Jesus.

But all along…

Jesus was holding onto you.

The fire didn’t destroy you.

The wilderness didn’t bury you.

The storm didn’t have the final word.

Instead, something happened inside you.

Your roots went deeper.

Your spiritual discernment became sharper.

Your dependence upon God became greater.

Your faith became stronger.

And the things of this world became strangely less important compared with knowing Him.

That’s what the fire can produce.

So if you’re walking through a trial today, don’t give up.

Don’t turn back.

Don’t allow bitterness to take root.

Keep praying.

Keep forgiving.

Keep obeying.

Keep believing.

And above all—

keep your eyes on Jesus.

Because you don’t really know the strength of your faith when everything is going right.

You discover it when everything goes wrong—and you still choose Jesus.