The Encourager
“When Our Faith is Tested”
When Our Faith is Tested
by Jeff Curtis
James 1:3 says, “The testing of your faith produces endurance.” Probably, the “testing” he refers to meant persecution. The idea is that when a Christian’s faith is tested and he still remains faithful, he grows spiritually. Unfortunately, not everyone passes the test.
Is our faith ever tested? Are we ever tempted to give up on God? When life goes bad for us – because of personal sickness, bereavement, financial difficulties, family conflicts or personal problems – our faith is tested. Sometimes this is true even when our lives are going well. Prosperity can tempt us to be materialistic, for example. What do we do then? The experience of the Israelites as they stood on the shore of the Red Sea gives us a few guidelines.
When our faith is tested, we should remember matters are not as bad as they seem. That was true of the Israelites. They thought they had escaped. Imagine their joy! Then they reached the Red Sea, and their joy turned to despair. They faced the sea to their front and Egypt’s army to the rear (Exodus 14:9). The forces against them seemed to be overwhelming. They saw no hope, no way out. However, since we know the rest of the story, we know that there was a way of escape. Ultimately, God delivered them.
Like the Israelites, we tend to look at the negative, imagine the worst, and fail to see the positive possibilities when we are faced with problems. We must have faith that the situation is not as dark as it seems.
When our faith is tested, we should look to God. The Israelites “cried out to the Lord” (Exod. 14:10). That much they got right – but then they started to complain. In doing so, they showed two negative attitudes that continued to characterize them: forgetfulness and ingratitude. They forgot what God had done for them, and they were ungrateful for His blessings. Nevertheless, God responded to their cry by promising them deliverance. Moses assured them that God would rescue them: “Do not be fear! Stand by and see the salvation of the Lord” (Exod. 14:13,14).
Turning to God when our faith is tested should become natural for us. In God – through prayer, through Scriptures and through our fellow Christians – we can find the help we need in times of trial. Sometimes people move farther away from God instead of drawing closer to Him, even turning away from the church. May that never be said of us.
When our faith is tested, we should move forward. We must press on in the upward way, heading for our promised land. The most remarkable thing about the story in Exodus 14 is found in God’s instructions. After Moses said, “Stand by and see” (Exod. 14:13, God said, “God forward” (Exod. 14:15). Their faith was tested. To their credit, despite their misgivings, they did “go forward” into the sea. As the sea opened, they marched through on dry ground. By doing so, they were saved, delivered from the peril they were so afraid of.
What about us? When our faith is tested, we usually know what we ought to do. The question is whether or we will do it – in spite of our misgivings, fears and problems.
Often, when our faith is tested by trying circumstances or difficult situations, we need to do what Israel was told to do: (1) Depend on God; “Stand by and see the salvation of the Lord” (14:13). (2) Then “go forward” (14:15). Paul said, “Forgetting what lies behind and reaching for what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call pf God in Christ Jesus” (Php. 3:13-14). Is there a sea in front of us? God can open that sea. Is there a wall in front of us? God can help tear down that wall. Have we encountered a closed door? God can open that door. The solution to the testing of our faith is simply to “keep the faith,” to keep doing what the Lord would have us to do.
Conclusion. God has the answer for our individual lives and for the corporate life of the church. We must hear His instructions and press on, even when the way ahead seems impossible. The God who could open the Red Sea can open a door for us that will result both in our being blessed and in our being a blessing to others.
