In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, thought it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ. 1 Peter 1:6-7 NKJV
I have always hated timed tests. My palms and forehead sweating, chest constricted just waiting for the teachers mark to turn over the paper and complete the test in time. Ever since then the idea of someone "testing" me was not something that I appreciated. Yet we are told that God tests our faith in 1 Peter 1. Look closer, God tests our faith as a goldsmith tests gold. That process is interesting. The goldsmith buys gold hoping that it is pure, that he can approve all of it as useful. He heats the gold to the melting point and the impurities rise to the top as "dross" which is scraped off and discarded. This is the picture of how God "tests" our faith: with a view to approval, that we may be useful to Him. He is not looking to "fail " us, but rather to use us as tools for His own glory. This is a description of every trial you will ever have.
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