Does God test us?

Question

I was working on a different question and I found that I couldn't actually find anywhere that shows that God actually tests us.

Psalms 26:2 (NIV)
Test me, LORD, and try me, examine my heart and my mind;

Clearly, asking for tests is acceptable, per the Psalm above. Also, it seems that God allows us to be tested:

Job 1:12 (NIV)
The LORD said to Satan, “Very well, then, everything he has is in your power, but on the man himself do not lay a finger.” Then Satan went out from the presence of the LORD.

Another verse that shows that God allows temptation:

1 Corinthians 10:13 (NIV)
No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.

Does God ever intentionally put things in our way himself to allow us to be tested (as the Psalms says)? Or does God merely allow Satan to give us trials and temptations?

Also, what does the mainstream Protestant doctrines say towards this end?

_{I'd really like Biblical support for any answer, please.}

Answer 1

One well-known example of God specifically testing someone is when he commanded Abraham to offer his son Isaac as an offering unto him. (Genesis chapter 22)

Also, the Bible contains several references to God testing people in general to see if they will obey. For example:

Exodus 16: 4

I [will] prove them, whether they will walk in my law, or no.

Deuteronomy 13: 3

the Lord your God proveth you, to know whether ye love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul.

EDIT:

To answer a question from the comments, we can turn to James for a pretty solid NO; God does not put temptation in our path:

James 1:12-14

12 Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.

13 Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man:

14 But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.

Answer 2

If by "test" you mean "Tempt" then no. God will not tempt us.

James 1:13-16 (NKJV)

13 Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone. 14 But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. 15 Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death. 16 Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren.

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However, this is not the only meaning of the word "test". Like the word "love", "test" is a word that has different connotations based on the context and/or the original word that was translated as "test".

For example, in several translations, the word "test" is used where "examine" is a better translation of the word. (Sometimes it's translated as "prove" as well.) For example:

• 1 Thess 2:4 (NKJV) "We speak as men Approved by God to be entrusted with the Gospel. We are Not trying to Please men but GOD, who TESTS our HEARTS."

• Jer 17:10 (NASB) "I, the Lord, search (EXAMINE) the HEART, I TEST the MIND"

In these cases, God does "test" our hearts.

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To get to whether or not God actually causes bad things to happen to you to test you (which is, I believe, a re-phrasing of your main question - correct me if I'm wrong.)...

I have yet to run across a scripture that indicates that God places evil, pain, or suffering in our way in order to test us. As you've pointed out, there are many verses where it is allowed, but none where He actually places the suffering in our paths.

The only places in the Scriptures where God causes what we might, in our finite wisdom consider "bad things" to happen is as a punishment for sin, which is a completely different matter.

Answer 3

If we say God needs to test us to see if we are faithful or will be obedient then we are say that God does not know it all. We give a test to see if someone Knows or have Knowledge because we don't know unless they prove it to us i.e. the test.

Answer 4

the test is ment to prove to us and to the devil himself whats in us just like the time God asked have you considered my servant Job. God takes time to boast in us but our job is to make our heavenly father proud of us in not only words but deeds also