God Tests the Heart

God tests the heart.  And if He tests those whom He brags about, such as righteous Job (Job 1:8), who are we to escape?

Job was put into a situation that changed how he looked at life and himself, and brought questions to his heart about God. He had enjoyed being righteous.  It is our nature to want to be good.  We can look good to ourselves, our fellow Man, and to God, and in this period of being in the “good” zone, we are satisfied.  In fact, some of us avoid being in situations that would bring out anything but the good in us. Like finding just the right color to make ourselves look attractive, we can seek just the right type of life to keep us satisfied with the person we are.

The truth is, failure at righteousness stinks.  It is embarrassing, and can cause inward loathing.  Have you ever been able to love someone, until you saw more and more of them?  It is more comfortable to back away once we find our behavior is becoming less than righteous.  We may have become unkind, or act distant . . . and then long for the distance wherein we were able to be “good.”

We lose God’s benefit for us, though, when we distance ourselves from those who bring out the worst in us.  God puts us in uncomfortable situations because staying in our comfort zone breeds self-righteousness.  We like our behavior better when we’re in our own zone.

God puts us in a new, uncomfortable zone when He tests us.  Complaints, challenging God, pouting, unsubmission . . . and many more things may be what arises in our hearts when we’re tested.  But as Job complained to God and was heard, so are God’s ears ever open to our prayers.

After Job’s testing was over, God restored more than he had before.  God also made Job a priest.  And God has good things appointed for us, too.  We can trust Him to bring us through our trials, out of the comfort zone where we enjoyed our own righteousness, and into true unshakable righteousness. 

Please be encouraged that, even if you don’t like how you behave during your trials, you will be just fine when God has brought you through them.  Amen.