Testing of faith is not judgement but more like refinement. It is a gracious thing from God. It proves the genuineness of faith. The trials that come are actually helpful when viewed in a right way. They are painful but necessary.

Testing often occurs in having to wait for something. It is easy when things happen in a way that can be seen but what about the things that cannot be seen. The passage shows that king Saul was relying on what he could see ….. he wasn’t really considering the things he could not see.

As a result of this Saul forfeits God’s blessing. His heart was not after the Lord. The Philistines came against him with a much stronger army and the people became afraid. Both he and his soldiers should have trusted in almighty God, not what they could see.

Once people really see the cross they know that they can trust God in anything.