God's Goodness in Refining His Children through Trials
God's goodness is a fundamental aspect of His character, encompassing benevolence, mercy, compassion, and grace towards His creation [7]. This goodness is particularly evident in His dealings with humanity, as He is described as "awesome in his dealings with the children of humankind" [4]. One significant way God demonstrates His goodness is by refining His children through trials and difficulties, which serve to train them in righteousness and holy character [12].
The Bible frequently portrays God as actively involved in testing and proving His people. For instance, Ecclesiastes states that "God tests them, so that they may see that they themselves are like animals" [1]. Similarly, the Psalms declare, "For thou, O God, hast proved us... thou hast tried us as silver is tried" [9]. This process is likened to a refiner's fire, where silver is purified from dross [9]. Matthew Henry notes that "the fining-pot is for silver... so the Lord tries the hearts; he searches whether they are standard or no, and those that are he refines and makes purer" [8]. God uses affliction to test the heart and often chooses His people in such furnaces, making them choice [8].
These trials are not arbitrary but are part of God's loving discipline for His children [12]. The author of Hebrews quotes Proverbs, indicating that hardship is "the Lord’s loving discipline for his children" [12]. God gives reproof to His own children, as seen in passages like 2 Samuel 7:14 and Hebrews 12:6-7 [2]. This discipline is a manifestation of His loving-kindness, which is described as great, excellent, good, marvelous, multitudinous, and everlasting [6]. John Gill, commenting on Psalms 69:16, highlights that God's loving-kindness is "good" and is a reason why one might expect to be heard by Him [10].
Even significant figures like Abraham were subjected to such trials. Abraham's faith was tested when God commanded him to offer his son Isaac, demonstrating that he loved God more than his son [11, 14]. This trial, though severe, was a means by which God proved Abraham's faithfulness [14]. The purpose of these trials is ultimately for the good of God's children, helping them to grow in judgment and be directed by God [3]. While God's goodness is universally applied, His specific dealings with His children, including reproof and trials, are distinct from His dealings with the wicked [2]. The children of God are made manifest through regenerating grace and their obedience, which is well-pleasing to God [13, 5].
Sources
- Ecclesiastes “I said in my heart, “As for the sons of men, God tests them, so that they may see that they themselves are like animals. -- Ecclesiastes 3:18”
- Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Reproof — God gives reproof to his own children -- 2Sa 7:14; Job 5:17; Ps 94:12; 119:67,71,75; Heb 12:6,7. God gives, to the wicked -- Ps 50:21; Isa 51:20. Christ sent to give -- Isa 2:4; 11:3. The Holy Spirit gives -- Joh 16:7,8. Christ gives, in love -- Re 3:19. On account of Impenitence. -- Mt 11:20-24. Not understanding. -- Mt 16:9,11; Mr 7:18; Lu 24:25; Joh 8:43; 13:7,8. Hardness of heart. -- Mr 8:17; 16:14. Fearfulness. -- Mr 4:40; Lu 24:37,38. Unbelief. -- Mt 17:17,20; Mr 16:14. Vain boasting. -- Lu 22:34. Hypocrisy. -- Mt 15:7; 23:13. Reviling Christ. -- Lu 2”
- Isaiah “Isaiah 28:26 (Rotherham) — Yea One hath trained him to good judgment, His God, directeth him.”
- Psalms “Psalms 66:5 (LEB) — Come and ⌞consider⌟ the works of God; he is awesome in his dealings with the children of humankind.”
- Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Children, Good — The Lord is with -- 1Sa 3:19. Know the Scriptures -- 2Ti 3:15. Observe the law of God -- Pr 28:7. Their obedience to parents is well pleasing to God -- Col 3:20. Partake of the promises of God -- Ac 2:39. Shall be blessed -- Pr 3:1-4; Eph 6:2,3. Show love to parents -- Ge 46:29. Obey parents -- Ge 28:7; 47:30. Attend to parental teaching -- Pr 13:1. Take care of parents -- Ge 45:9,11; 47:12. Make their parents' hearts glad -- Pr 10:1; 29:17. Honour the aged -- Job 32:6,7. Adduced as a motive for submission to God -- Heb 12:9. Spirit of, a requisite f”
- Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Loving-Kindness of God, The — Is through Christ -- Eph 2:7; Tit 3:4-6. Described as Great. -- Ne 9:17. Excellent. -- Ps 36:7. Good. -- Ps 69:16. Marvellous. -- Ps 17:7; 31:21. Multitudinous. -- Isa 63:7. Everlasting. -- Isa 54:8. Merciful. -- Ps 117:2. Better than life. -- Ps 63:3. Consideration of the dealings of God gives a knowledge of -- Ps 107:43. Saints Betrothed in. -- Ho 2:19. Drawn by. -- Jer 31:3. Preserved by. -- Ps 40:11. Quickened after. -- Ps 119:88. Comforted by. -- Ps 119:76. Look for mercy through. -- Ps 51:1. Receive mercy through. -- Isa 54:8. Are ”
- Easton's Bible Dictionary “Easton's Bible Dictionary: Goodness of God — A perfection of his character which he exercises towards his creatures according to their various circumstances and relations (Ps. 145:8, 9; 103:8; 1 John 4:8). Viewed generally, it is benevolence; as exercised with respect to the miseries of his creatures it is mercy, pity, compassion, and in the case of impenitent sinners, long-suffering patience; as exercised in communicating favour on the unworthy it is grace. "Goodness and justice are the several aspects of one unchangeable, infinitely wise, and sovereign moral perfection. God is not sometimes ”
- Proverbs (Nonconformist/Puritan) “Matthew Henry on Proverbs 17:3: Note, 1. The hearts of the children of men are subject, not only to God's view, but to his judgment: As the fining-pot is for silver, both to prove it and to improve it so the Lord tries the hearts; he searches whether they are standard or no, and those that are he refines and makes purer, Jer 17:10. God tries the heart by affliction (Psa 66:10, Psa 66:11), and often chooses his people in that furnace (Isa 48:10) and makes them choice. 2. It is God only that tries the hearts. Men may try their silver and gold with the fining-pot and the furnace, but they have no”
- Psalms (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Psalms 66:10: For thou, O God, hast proved us,.... And by the experiment found them to be true and faithful; to have the truth of grace, and the root of the matter in them; not reprobate silver, or their grace counterfeit grace; but of the right kind, solid and substantial; thou hast tried us as silver is tried; in a furnace, where it is put and melted by the refiner, and purified from the dross that attends it. So the Targum, "thou hast purified us as the silversmith purifieth the silver;'' or tries it by melting and purifying it. Thus the Lord puts his people into the furn”
- Psalms (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Psalms 69:16: Hear me, O Lord; for thy lovingkindness is good,.... His lovingkindness to him, not only as his Son, but as Mediator; and which is a love of complacency and delight, and was from eternity, and will be to eternity: and this is "good", as appears by the effects and evidences of it; such as putting all things into his hands, showing him all that he does, concealing and keeping nothing from him, appointing him to be the Saviour of his people, the Head of the church, and the Judge of the world; and this lovingkindness shown to him is a reason why he might expect to be hea”
- Genesis (Nonconformist/Puritan) “Matthew Henry on Genesis 22:1: Here is the trial of Abraham's faith, whether it continued so strong, so vigorous, so victorious, after a long settlement in communion with God, as it was at first, when by it he left his country: then it was made to appear that he loved God better than his father; now that he loved him better than his son. Observe here, I. The time when Abraham was thus tried (Gen 22:1): After these things, after all the other exercises he had had, all the hardships and difficulties he had gone through. Now, perhaps, he was beginning to think the storms had all blown over; but, ”
- Hebrews (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on Hebrews 12:5: 12:5-6 In these verses, the encouraging words are quoted from Prov 3:11-12, a passage that regards hardship as the Lord’s loving discipline for his children. God can turn a wide variety of trials and difficulties to our good, training us in righteousness and holy character.”
- 1 John (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on 1 John 3:10: In this the children of God are manifest,.... By regenerating grace, and not sinning, in the sense before explained, in consequence of it: adoption is an act of God's grace and sovereign will; it is secret in his own heart, and is secured in divine predestination, and in the covenant of grace, and is antecedent to regeneration: regeneration and faith do not make men the children of God, but manifest them to be so; adoption makes them the children of God, and entitles them to the inheritance; regeneration gives them the nature of the children of God, and makes them mee”
- Hebrews (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Hebrews 11:16: By faith Abraham, when he was tried, .... Or tempted; that is, by God, Gen 22:1. This temptation or trial respects the command given by God to Abraham, to offer up his son Isaac; which lays no foundation for a charge against God, either of sin or cruelty; for God's will is the rule of justice and goodness, and whatever he requires is just and good; and though his creatures are bound by the laws he prescribes them, he himself is not: besides, he is the Lord of life, the giver and preserver of it; and he has a right to dispose of it, and to take it away, when, and by ”