I'm praying you're strengthened by the Holy Spirit to pass every test and struggle of faith.

I can hear my dad's voice teaching me, “Stacie, when you feel the Lord is testing you, it’s sometimes helpful to say out loud, ‘This is a test, this is only a test!’”

The crucible is for silver, and the furnace is for gold, and the Lord tests hearts (Proverbs 17:3 ESV).

Since Jesus himself has gone through suffering and testing, he is able to help us when we are being tested (Hebrews 2:18 NLT).

I can also hear Ps Karen's voice saying, “You're under 24-hour surveillance by the Holy Spirit!”

Thank you, Jesus, for your righteousness on which we stand, your mercy that's new every morning, and for the constant help of the Holy Spirit that's available to us!

Why would God allow tests? Because he's building relational and vocational trust (remember, we're God's sons and daughters and his kingdom ambassadors), and he wants to entrust us with more!

God wants to reward you!

Testing also reveals our maturity (see Proverbs 24:10). It keeps us humble and creates opportunities for us to grow in God. And when we fail tests—and we all fail tests—it reminds us how desperately we need the mercy and care of our loving, committed heavenly father.

Will you join me today in praying for someone close to you?

We're all being tested right now in one way or another, and our prayers for each other bring God's strength, wisdom, and grace.

Here's a video I love from BibleProject called The Test that's worth watching today.