“For you, O God, have tested us; you have tried us as silver is tried. 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.” Psalm 66:10-12 ESV
While in the midst of an unwelcome experience, an unfortunate hardship, or a transition from one extreme to another, you’ve undoubtedly said: “This is nothing but a test.” At some point, the experience may also have led you to wonder: Why is God taking me through this?
In trying to find an answer, you may have taken a moment to reflect on whether you harbored ill thoughts or improper feelings. You may have taken a trip down memory lane to recall whether you had done something wrong or wronged someone. If you came up empty, you were left stumped as to why. In reality, we sometimes never figure out the purpose behind a test or a difficult experience.
God doesn’t have to, and may not, inform us why, as he didn’t tell Job the purpose of his suffering. From God’s perspective, our knowing why or the specific purpose of a test isn’t primary. Yet yielding to the testing process he imposes is paramount. Despite being unaware of why he was suffering so severely, Job maintained his commitment to God and stated, “But he knows the way that I take; when he has tested me, I will come forth as gold” (Job 23:10).
We may not know the specific reason for a test God takes us through, yet the Bible does offer an overall purpose for tests and trials. Tests and trials are meant to perfect us (James 1:2-4). God’s intended end is for us to be spiritually mature — fully developed and without defects.
This perfection comes through the process of putting our faith to the test. God views the genuineness of steadfast faith as more valuable than gold or silver (1 Peter 1:7). Therefore, faith must be tested. As gold and silver go through a purifying process to remove dross, God takes us through a purifying (and sometimes painful) process to remove the worthless stuff in us. God thus develops our character by depositing worthy stuff in us. Our proven faith and approved character, forged through God’s refining process, mark us as acceptable and useful.
There’s a story about a woman who went to a silversmith to watch the silver refining process. As she watched, the silversmith held a piece of silver over the fire and let it heat up. He explained that in refining silver, one needed to hold it in the middle of the fire, where the flames were hottest, to burn away all the impurities.
The woman thought about God holding us in such a hot spot; then she thought again about the verse that says: He sits as a refiner and purifier of silver (Malachi 3:3). She asked the silversmith whether he had to sit there in front of the fire the whole time the silver was being refined. The man answered that yes, he not only had to sit there holding the silver but also keep his eyes on it the entire time it was in the fire.
If the silver was left a moment too long in the flames, it would be destroyed. The woman was silent for a moment. Then she asked the silversmith, ‘How do you know when the silver is fully refined?’ He smiled at her and answered, ‘Oh, that’s easy — when I see my image in it.’
As the refiner, God may employ tests and trials to mold us into Christ’s image (Romans 8:29; Galatians 4:19). So, with each time we go through a testing process, God intends to see more and more of Christ reflected in us.
Rev. Johnson Beaven III is a speaker, theological educator, and ministry mentor. For more information, visit linktr.ee/johnsonbeaven. Contact him by email at jb3ministries@gmail.com or on X at @jbiiiministries.
