The Test of Faith

When Jesus says, “ACCORDING TO YOUR FAITH BE IT UNTO YOU,” what does that mean to you?

The dominant theme in Jesus’ teaching appears to be FAITH as a determining factor for obtaining our heart’s desires. Jesus’ emphasis on faith as the basis for receiving is so strong that he once said that with faith as little as the mustard seed, we can command the mountain to move and it shall be removed. This symbolism explains the simplicity and yet efficacy of faith.

Faith is the only thing God honours. Complaint, worry, anxiety, murmuring, weeping, despair, etc do not move God so much as your faith in his ability and power to turn things around for your good. The Bible says: “But without faith it is impossible to please Him: for he that cometh to God must believe that He is, and that He is the rewarder of them that diligently seek Him” (Hebrew 11:6).

In receiving from God, your faith may be tested. Do you really have the faith to obtain your heart’s desires? The way to determine whether you merit what you are asking for is that your faith has to be tested.

Many years ago when prospective miners went out looking for gold, they took with them certain acid which they used to test any object they found. Any time they found anything that looked like gold, they would pour a little drop of the acid on it. If it melted the object, then that object was not gold. But if the object didn’t melt, then it was gold.

The Test

The test of faith begins the moment you start exercising your faith. You may not get what you desire instantly. Instead of improving, things may start going from bad to worse. At such a time, what will you do? Will you give up your faith and quit?

It is important to note that anything that may cause you to doubt God’s power or God’s love for you could be the test of your faith. This test could come from your friends, relations, family, people, your enemies, and from satan and his agents.

As long as they tend to cause you to doubt God’s power and love, they are tests of your faith. But how you react to these tests go a long way in determining whether you will obtain your heart’s desire or not.  

 

The Purpose of the Test

Everything that happens in our lives, including both the bad and the ugly, are arranged to work for our GOOD. All unpleasant situations that seem to threaten and weaken our faith are tests of our faith.

At school, students are made to take examinations regularly. These examinations are meant to determine the extent to which students have grasped what they have been taught. Those that pass the examinations are promoted while those that fail the examinations are asked to re-sit the paper or repeat the class as the case may be.

Like examinations, all things that happen in our lives serve as tests of our faith. The purpose of every test is PROMOTION. But how you react to the test determines your promotion or demotion.

In the book of Daniel, we read how Daniel kept praying and the answer to his prayer was not forthcoming. But he kept praying. At a point, an angel of God appeared to him and assured him that God had answered his prayers the first day he prayed, but that the Prince of Persia (satan) withstood him 21 days and prevented him from bringing the answered prayers to him (Daniel) until Angel Michael came to his rescue.

Lessons for Victorious Living

 There are vital lessons to learn from Daniel’s experience:

1.     The moment you pray the prayer of faith, God answers you. But as said earlier, the test of faith will come and it would appear God has refused to answer. As you can see from Daniel’s experience, it is not that God refuses to answer you. It may be that satan has intercepted your answered prayer.

2.     Another lesson to learn from here is that Daniel did not get discouraged or frustrated when the answers to his prayers were not forthcoming. Rather, he kept praying until he got what he wanted. That is what it takes to pass the test of faith.

Like Daniel, when you pray and exercise your faith and you don’t get the answer instantly; when you pray and exercise faith and yet it appears the situation is going from bad to worse, you don’t have to be discouraged. Keep praying. The delay is really a test of your faith. You will pass the test if you don’t give up.

THE FAITH THAT BRINGS ANSWERED PRAYER IS THE FAITH THAT GETS STRONGER WHEN THE ANSWER IS NOT FORTHCOMING. Jesus’ message that we should pray and not faint remains relevant even when we are undergoing a test of faith.

3.     Another lesson to learn here is that after every test comes promotion. It was after 21 days’ delay that Daniel got answers to his prayers. Delay is not denial. Don’t get discouraged when the answers to your prayers are delayed.

Rather, your faith should get stronger and stronger until you obtain answers to your prayers. Please read Luke 18:1-9 and be motivated to pray and not faint till you get what you desire. As Elizabeth Elliot said: “TRUE FAITH ONLY GOES INTO OPERATION WHEN THERE ARE NO ANSWERS.”

Let every test of your faith inspire you to be better and victorious every day of your life!

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