Tested and Refined

The Bible makes it clear that God tests our love by putting us through various trials. God, speaking through Isaiah, says (Isaiah 48:10, NLT),

I have refined you, but not as silver is refined.
Rather, I have refined you in the furnace of suffering.

That uncomfortable verse invites an uncomfortable question: Why does God do this to us? Certainly it's not because he needs validation of our commitment to him. After all, in his omnipotence, he already knows the outcomes of those trials.

Rather, the purpose of those trials is that we learn where we stand in our commitment to him. Those trials are learning lessons, albeit painful ones, for us.

But not all of those tests are painful. Sometimes God seduces us with worldly treasures and pleasures to test whether we'll stray from his path. In Deuteronomy 13:1-3 (NLT), God, speaking through Moses, says,

Suppose there are prophets among you or those who dream dreams about the future, and they promise you signs or miracles, and the predicted signs or miracles occur. If they then say, ‘Come, let us worship other gods’—gods you have not known before—do not listen to them. The Lord your God is testing you to see if you truly love him with all your heart and soul.

So some of those "tests" might involve paths that seem cool, powerful, or otherwise attractive in some earthly sense. But those paths run counter to God's will, which means we must avoid them. Those paths are different types of tests.

Just remember, those tests provide learning lessons for our own good!