why does God test man, part one

when tragedy strikes
why suffering?
the suffering of fools
temptations, tests, and trials

I believe there are three biblical answers to the question of Why suffering? The first is that we live in a fallen world; the second is that foolish and sinful behavior results in painful consequences. The third is that God allows us to be tempted and tested. Why?

1) To humble our pride and cause us to seek Him. Many of the plagues poured out on mankind before the final judgment are so harsh so as to cause as many as possible who will humble themselves to repent and seek the Lord before it is too late.

2) To know our hearts, and the depth of our obedience, love, and faithfulness to Him. In the parable of the sower, the sower sows the seed of the word of God. There are four kinds of hearers of that word, and the different soils are the hearts of those four kinds of hearers. One kind of hearer hears the word with joy and begins to grow up, but then when they are tested, when they endure trials or tribulations, they fall away from the word they have heard, because they have no deep taproot to sustain them through their trials.

A root exists in a plant to provide water and necessary minerals for the plant. Thus when things on the surface get hot, when insects or disease attack the  plant, or when hail or other surface conditions put stress on it, the plant can still survive. Dear sisters, if our faith is being shaken because of our trials, if our root is not deep, water is available to us. Food is available to us. What we really need is not the removal of trials from our lives, but more of the Lord Jesus Christ in our lives: more of His presence, His love, His Spirit, and His word in our hearts. He is the blessing. Let us lay down our lives, our sins, our plans, our dreams, and even our flawed ideas of the way the world should be, and let us worship at His beautiful, nail-pierced feet.

testing and the education of life
what my cat taught me about testing, and trusting
why does God test man, part two
we are the clay
judging suffering
when we suffer: a warning
help when we hurt
flip the switch
the poetry of drawing near
hearts wounded by suffering
what my thimble taught me
pride: the hidden problem with hardness
portrait of a yielded heart
the poetry of a yielded heart
comfort when we suffer
taking comfort: psalm 42
the poetry of taking comfort
comfort, comfort, o my people
comfort as a mother comforts
a rabbit trail
the joy of intimacy
the poetry of intimacy
God’s comforting presence
why don’t I feel God?
christians and suffering
back from the abyss