Exodus 16:4  Then the Lord said to Moses, “Look, I’m going to rain down food from heaven for you. Each day the people can go out and pick up as much food as they need for that day. I will test them in this to see whether or not they will follow my instructions. (NLT)

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The tests I took in school were seldom anticipated eagerly. I love learning. I do not necessarily love examinations over what I have learned. I want the core truth and its application in different scenarios and situations. What can I take with me that will serve me well in my personal decisions and professional employment for the rest of my life? 

Teachers often expect a bit more than that. Where I want the gist, they want more of what is to me insignificant and unnecessary. (There is a sudden realization here that maybe I was a strong-willed child. Also, some of the things I consider superfluous may have more to do with essence than I imagined. I’m going to need to ponder this for a while. I might even need to make some apologies.)

See in this text at least five ideas we need to know.

God tests us for our good. God’s tests are not scored on a scale of one to one hundred. Neither are they Pass/Fail. He is not looking to see how much we love and trust him. He already knows. Instead, he wants us to see how much we love and trust him. This is a radical reorientation regarding testing. 

God wants us to trust his unfailing love, grace, mercy, and kindness in all things at all times. He wants to be our first resort and not our last. He wants us to begin in trust, to continue in trust, and to finish in trust. He is perfectly trustworthy. Increasing measures of God’s goodness flow into the lives of those who learn to live in the abundance of his perfect love. 

When we see how much or little we trust God in life’s challenges, we begin to understand how to handle what comes next. His instructions are flawless and beneficial. They bless both us and others. They build better lives, families, communities, and the world. 

**God provides enough and more.** God gives good gifts to his children. He doesn’t give capriciously. He doesn’t withhold his highest and best until we beg and make promises we probably will not keep. His lead measures in our lives are always for our good. 

**God gives instructions for how to gain our necessary share.** The ability to earn, give, and save comes from God. He has created all things. We get to use what he has created to make beneficial tools and to do productive work. He provides good guidance regarding what to do and what to avoid. 

**God teaches us to trust him for everything we need every day that we live.** There are some things we cannot provide for ourselves. We can go to God for these and trust his generous heart. (See Psalm 23:5.) Some blessings are not ours to bestow. God does not experience these limitations. We can join him in seeking his highest and best beyond our abilities by seeking what others need from our Provider. Our prayers to this end are powerful and effective. (See James 5:16-18.)

These five truths can serve us well in the week ahead. We can now determine to focus on one of these each day. For example, on Monday, we can ask God to give us more insight into the idea that he tests us for our good. We can tell him we are ready for his tests for our good and growth. 

On Tuesday, we can invite God to remind us and teach us more about his unfailing love, grace, mercy, and kindness. Continue in this manner for the rest of the week. Keep good notes of at least a sentence or two each day. Take a few minutes on Saturday to review your progress. Make another plan for next week on Sunday. 

In which of these five truths are you most mature and complete now?

Which of these truths requires the most attention?

Proverbs 3:5, 6, verses we should all commit to memory, help us remember to trust God from the bottom of our hearts. Tell God this is your attitude as you begin the week. Tell him again each day. Tell him again when you fail or begin to wonder if he has. 

This radical reorientation toward God’s testing accelerates our growth and development, our purpose and fruitfulness. 

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I will invite God’s tests so that I know where I need to grow.

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Our Father, James 1:2-4 reminds me that troubles are coming. It also reminds me you are already here. You never leave us, forsake us, or abandon us. Hard times produce great joy when we live them in concert with your purpose for our growth and development. You test our faith to build endurance and resilience into our lives, not to tear us down. Your tests are developmental in purpose so that we will be “perfect and complete, needing nothing.” Let’s grow. Amen.