If you have run with footmen and they have tired you out, then how can you compete with horses? If you fall down in a land of peace, how will you do in the thicket of the Jordan?
--Jeremiah 12:5 NASB

Would you like to know what you really believe about God? I'm not talking about what you say you believe, or what you ought to believe, but what you truly do believe. Would you like to see the truth about you that God sees? Well, you can. You can actually know what's way down deep in your heart. And here is how: The next time you suffer, watch how you react. Watch what happens in your head and heart. Take an attitude check. Because nothing reveals the stuff of which your Christian beliefs are made than tough times. Maybe that's why the Bible says, "Rejoice in suffering" and "Welcome trials as friends." Maybe it's because then we can know what we're really made of.

It's what happened to the Israelites when they were in the desert. It says in Deuteronomy chapter 8 that God caused the tough times to "Test them... to see what was in their hearts." Well, the fact is, God already knows what's in your heart. He just wants you to know what's in your heart. You may be facing some keen disappointments today: loneliness, a bad medical report, financial worries, chronic pain, or an important relationship on the rocks. It's hard. But it's also strangely helpful. Because when you find out who you are and what you really believe... you're facing the truth. And remember, the truth always sets you free.

What have your recent trials or setbacks revealed to you about your faith and trust in the Father? That insight wasn't meant to crush or discourage you. It's an encouragement to set aside distractions and seek him with fresh urgency.