Tested by God  

Some time after this, Jesus crossed to the far shore of the Sea of Galilee (that is, the Sea of Tiberias), and a great crowd of people followed him because they saw the miraculous signs he had performed on the sick. Then Jesus went up on a mountainside and sat down with his disciples. The Jewish Passover Feast was near.

When Jesus looked up and saw a great crowd coming toward him, he said to Philip, "Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?" He asked this only to test him, for he already had in mind what he was going to do.

Philip answered him, "Eight months' wages would not buy enough bread for each one to have a bite!"

Another of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, spoke up, "Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many? . . . Jesus then took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed to those who were seated as much as they wanted. He did the same with the fish.
John 6:1-9 and 11

In John 6 we see another example of being tested by God. This time Jesus was testing His disciples; unfortunately, even though they had seen him do miracle after miracle, they still failed the test. Do you think we would have been any different? Would we have passed this test?

Sometimes, like the disciples we are so caught up in life that we put walls of impossibility all around us. We profess to have faith in God, and yet many times we are the first to admit defeat. God, however, still can work within the bounds of our unbelief to show us who He is. He is God; He does not run His train on our tracks.

In Proverbs 21:1, the Bible tells us, The king's heart is in the hand of the LORD; he directs it like a watercourse wherever he pleases. God works in the hearts of men and women; what may seem impossible to us is possible to God. We can, and should, make plans for our lives, but we must understand that in the end what really happens is planned by God.

Knowing this helps us to be flexible in our planning; our concerns are based on the here and now. God's plans, however, are based upon eternity, and include everyone around us, even people we don't even know. It is not in our natures to put our trust in someone else, including God. Only by having our hearts changed by Christ, and being taught by the Holy Spirit do we begin to understand what it means to trust God. Be assured, God will send many tests our way; in the end we will thank Him for it.

Pray today that when you are tested by God, you will put all of your faith and trust in Him. If you fail the test, pray for grace to pass the next one. God is so good!