Does God Test us or remind us of our foundation of faith?

Recently, I heard some personal devastating news which made me sad, angry, shaken and confused. Some moments I cried, and fog grew in my brain. Anxiety began to settle in.

“Anxiety wraps you up in yourself, trapping you in your own thoughts.” – Sarah Young, Jesus Calling

In this moment I began to pray; it helped…until the next wave of anxiety took hold of me. As the day went on, I moved in and out of worry and prayer. When I find myself in what I call emotional chaos, I must stop everything.

Through my faith journey and a season of therapy, one of the most comforting facts in scripture is to lean on God. Go to Him and He can be counted on.

As the days continued, all I could see were the challenges of life in front of me. My ability to do anything else was weak. I began to say, “Lord, help me, guide me and I trust you know what I need to do when.”

A friend of mine always says, “God can be trusted.”

Although I know I always have my faith, this news along with other “stuff” happening in my life made me wonder: Is this some kind of test? After all I have been going through, why this and why now? I never got answers to those questions, nor did I expect to.

I often hear people talk about God “Testing” them. For me, I see God as a place of refuge when all seems to be crumbling around me. I call on him for help and guidance. Without it, moving on my own terms and wisdom may cause more harm to my situation.

I am often comforted by words from the daily devotional, Jesus Calling by Sarah Young. This book, given to me over 15 years ago, continues to give me life in seasons of uncertainty. In each devotional, God is talking to the reader, reminding them to come to Him with everything they have and trust in Him. Each day reading this book, I am convinced that God loves me, loves you and is not a God who will test us.

God wants us to share in our pain, confusion, questions, and hurts. He knows us, what we feel, and he understands.

So next time you may think God is testing you, consider maybe God wants you to seek Him out for comfort and guidance. And just maybe after you go through your season of what you call a “test” walking beside Him is all about the testimony you have on the other side for someone else.