When God Allows Testing

Psalm 66:10-12

For you, O God, have tested us;

you have tried [refined, purified] us as silver is tried [refined, purified].

You brought us into the net;

you laid a crushing burden on our backs;

you let men ride over our heads;

we went through fire and through water;

yet you have brought us out to a place of abundance.

God tests his people.

He sometimes allows us to walk into the net, to carry a burden on our backs, to let men ride over our head, or to go through the fire and the flood.

But it’s never for nothing.

If God brings us into the net, he will bring us out to a place of abundance.

The Hebrew word translated tried in the passage above is the word used to described the process of refining and purifying metal. The metal is put through fire, and the fire burns up the impurities within the metal without burning up the metal itself. The result is a beautiful, pure, usable metal.

This is the process of testing.

Refinement.

Purification.

Preparation.

Testing is never for nothing, and your fire will not consume you.

When God brings us into a place of testing, he’ll bring us out to a place of abundance—and we'll come out better than we went in. 

This is why James says, “Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing” (James 1:2-4).

This is why David prays, “Test me, LORD, and try me, examine my heart and my mind;” (Psalm 26:2).

And I feel very prompted by the Holy Spirit to add something here—if your child is going through a season of testing, then take heart. Their testing is not for nothing. Their testing is producing wonderful things in them.

If we come out of testing better than we go in—if we come out of testing ready to be used by God—then, oh Lord, may we not only be willing to be tested, may we have the faith to rejoice within it.