"Do not test the Lord your God"

Do not test the Lord your God. Deuteronomy 6:16

This was in my devotional this morning and it really struck me. My first thought was, I don't test Him. I don't ask him to prove himself because I know He exists and is working. But as I continued to read, I realized it was more than that.

God doesn't need to continue to prove Himself, He has already proven Himself as faithful. When we keep asking Him to prove what He has already revealed, we both test and insult Him.

Beth says "God our Father is a giver by nature. He grants us full permission to make our petitions known, but He also asks that we check our motives (Jas. 4:3). If our motive is to see proof, according to Scripture we're testing God.

When we ask for things, we need to check what our motive is for asking. Are we asking because we truly want something or are we asking for Him for further proof that He exists and has choosen us? Do we ask for a miracle to increase our ability to bring God glory, or do we want proof He exists and loves us?

This has gotten me to thinking if I do this. Do I ask Him because I truly want something or because I need Him to show me that He loves me. Or when I ask, do I truly believe that He will answer me or do I have doubt that He will or make it happen? I know that He exists and can do anything. He can change a life, He can make the sun rise, He can give and He can take away.

Though I don't tell Him to prove that He exists, I think there have been times where I've asked for something so that I can see that He still sees me and loves me. This is the same as testing Him. This is when I need to focus on FAITH. Faith is believing even when you can't see!

So focus on FAITH not PROOF!