Don't Test God

"You shall not put the Lord your God to the test, as you tested Him at Massah." -Deuteronomy 6.16

Here Moses gives a command that Jesus later quotes when He is tempted by the devil in the wilderness. The idea of testing here is based on proving something because the ability is doubted. The Hebrew word spoken by Moses is nacah and what is being said is do not put God to the test by making Him prove that He is able or powerful. Do not put God to the test because you doubt He can come through. Do not make God prove that He has what it takes.

This testing comes from a lack of faith and trust. It is seeing if God is worthy of our trust and obedience. Moses commands the people not to do this. Up to this point he has been reminding them of all that God has done and brought them through. He has recalled how God delivered, provided for, and protected them from Egypt until this point. He tells reminds them of God's continued presence and mercy in their lives, and tells them not to test God because He has already proven Himself in all that He has done to get them to this point.

God will prove Himself trustworthy, or rather has already proven Himself trustworthy. He created a perfect world that humanity messed up, and rather than leaving us with what we brought on ourselves, He immediately began the work of restoration and redemption. This culminated with the cross and empty tomb. He has poured out blessings constantly since the beginning, and continues to provide. There is no reason, and no excuse, to doubt God's goodness or power, and we are not to ever put Him to the test because we doubt Him.

Men, is your life lived in faith and trust of God, or are you constantly putting Him to the test? You think, yes God came through in the past, but this is different. The stakes are higher this time, the problem is bigger or more desperate. God if you come through for me this time, then I'll trust you. Then I'll know you're good.

As with Jesus, when He faced the temptation that resulted in this being quoted, this type of thinking leads to a works based belief that constantly has to be one upped in order to sustain itself. It is based on, and rooted in, powerful displays that grab the attention of an audience and keep them coming back for more. But it cannot be sustained, and it is not how God works.

Let us never put God to the test. He has given no reason to doubt Him, that is Satan trying to tempt us and lead us astray. It has been his tactic since the beginning. It worked then, and it still works now. May we believe in the goodness of God, embrace His love, and trust Him always, knowing that He has our best interest at heart.

"Iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another."

To God alone be the Glory!

Strength and Honor