“… I will refine them like silver and test them like gold…” – Zechariah 13:9 (NIV)
Have you ever felt like you’re at the end of your rope, praying about a situation for years, and nothing seems to be happening? You ask yourself if God is hearing because everything looks the same as when you first started praying about the matter.
It is only a test! God wants to push you beyond your limit. He wants to take you to another level; He wants to build character. He wants you to rely on Him.
Our God could give us immediate answers and solutions to our prayers. All He has to do is speak the word, and our prayers are answered. He spoke, “…Let there be…,” and the world was created (Genesis 1).
We may ask why God allows us to go through these challenges. I’m reminding you, it’s just a test; hold on. The test is to refine us. It brings us to the place where we can see far beyond ourselves, to the place where we see God. It brings us to a place where we rely on God, not on our own limited strength.
The test is therefore necessary to build our faith. It serves as an opportunity to grow spiritually. It should be established in your mind that God will never allow you to be tested beyond what you can handle (1st Corinthians 10:13). Once the trial comes to you, know that you can endure.
Moreover, a test isn’t designed to destroy you – it’s meant to expose what God has already placed in you. Just like pressure reveals the quality of gold, spiritual pressure reveals the quality of your faith. Hold on and trust God!
Read: Philippians 4:13; James 1:2-3
Bible Reading Guide: Psalm 34:1-10; Luke 1:39-56; Numbers 2:10-34; Numbers 3