Why does Christ test believers with adversity?

The Holy Spirit has been speaking to me for several days about Psalm 11. This narrative is built on the precepts in this scripture.

When the foundations of your world are shattered, the tendency is to run away or panic. However, God tells a believer to trust Him and stand firm without fear or doubt.

There are no coincidences for a Christ follower. The hand of God is over your every action. He engineers both the good and difficult moments of life.

God may be allowing Satan to attack or destroy but your refuge is in Him. God has power and dominion over the heavens and earth.

How can a believer cope in what seems like a helpless situation?

The Lord is in His holy temple in heaven. The eyes of God see everything and at times He chooses to test the righteous with adversity.

God hates the wicked and those who are disposed to do violence. He will rain burning coals and a fiery wind upon your oppressors.

God is holy and He loves those who walk in His footsteps. God’s countenance upholds the upright.

The countenance of God is His facial expression. God looks at the troubled believer with a heart of love and comfort. He desires to provide believers with wisdom, protection and peace during a time of turmoil.

The purpose of God during the trials of life is to strengthen your faith when all you see is chaos. This is a catchall phrase used by many teachers but does not really probe into the mind of God.

The agony and pain experienced in a time of crisis is designed for a believer to identify with the emotions of Jesus on the Cross. In reality, you are being baptized into the death and suffering of Jesus. You are facing the work of the Cross to transform your life from a human being into a new creature in Christ.

We sometimes tend to look at God as a spiritual being who punishes believers and acts in cruel and harsh actions. This is a character of God at work in different seasons of life and is exemplified many places in the Bible.

There are several reasons for God’s actions.

God wants to strengthen your faith when He seems absent. He wants your unabridged loyalty and obedience regardless of your circumstances.

God responds with retribution. He blesses and He curses. He punishes believers who stray into darkness by worshiping false gods or idols.

God knows you better than you know yourself. He has created a perfect plan to deal with your personality and character defects. Your journey with God is perfect even though it may seem very distant from your concept of a loving God.

God is preparing a very special ministry but you must endure the refining fires of God to operate with the character of Jesus. There is no way of escaping this preparation by God.

Don’t give up on God. There is no one like Him!

I would have lost heart unless I believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.